


Pleasant Surprise

by jaimistoryteller



Series: Sunrise Cafe [5]
Category: Sherlock (TV)
Genre: AU, Alpha James, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Anal Sex, Depression, Eventual Happy Ending, Fluff, Knotting, M/M, Mpreg, Omega John, Rimming
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-27
Updated: 2015-06-05
Packaged: 2018-04-01 11:27:17
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 23,947
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4017994
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jaimistoryteller/pseuds/jaimistoryteller
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>James notices a different feel to his bond with John and comes London to find out what it is</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. At The Flat

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the Rare Pair Bingo-Word: Summer
> 
> Tumblr about my stories: [JaimiStoryTeller](http://jaimistoryteller.tumblr.com/)
> 
> Thank you for any form of communication, I love it and it keeps me writing!
> 
> This take place several years after This Changes Everything and Changes Continue, there will actually be another story between them too called Everything Settled, however that prompt hasn't come up yet so this is a bit out of order. Once that prompt has come up they will be put in order

James’ POV  
They had been bonded for a several years now, with him out of the military for the last two. When he had first come home things had been difficult, mostly because he was very self-conscious of the scars that now mapped his skin. For the longest time he was ashamed of himself, had not wanted his omega anywhere near him. As such he only saw the younger man four times a year when he went into heat, avoiding him the rest of the time by living in a small cottage and not allowing his love to see him at all. Every time they were together, he made sure the room was fairly dark so that it would be difficult to make out the marks and kept John’s hands busy gripping something so he could not explore his skin.

Now though, he was heading to London because he almost felt pulled. Something was happening and he was not sure what. However, he could feel the conflicting emotions in his love through their bond. He was both excited and worried, frustrated and joyous, angry and delighted.

While they owned their own flat, it was a small two bedroom thing, the second bedroom the size of a closet. His omega lived in a different part of town with an odd alpha who didn’t even seem to notice he was an omega. However, at the moment they were staying with his half-brother; something that always made him nervous because that alpha seems to be missing a few screws. Apparently their flat had a bit of a fire problem and his love didn’t want to go back to the small flat.

When he reaches town, the first thing he does is head to the store for supplies. He is sure that their flat will need food and cleaning after sitting unused for the last two months since his love’s last heat. He is surprised when he arrives to find a tall, brute of a blonde alpha, one that is vaguely familiar, cleaning the flat while muttering to himself.

“What are you doing in my flat?” he demands softly but firmly, years of being in charge giving him a tone that can carry when he wants.

He’s startled by the other alpha barely paying any attention to him as he continues to scrub the wall.

“Don’t bother repeating yourself,” the blonde alpha states when he has finished what he is working on and turned towards him, “As for what I am doing, John likes this place clean and Jim didn’t want him cleaning so here I am.” Grumbling the alpha remarks, “Personally I think John should just buy a flat he is happy with, but he won’t because that’s not what you want.”

Blinking, he glances about and realizes that this flat is rather sad looking. He had inherited it from a cousin when they died, and since he was never here anyways because of being off in a war zone, he had never considered whether it get rid of it or not. Now as he looks around, he can easily see why the younger man had not wanted to stay here and a flush covers his skin.

“Is John still with his brother?” he inquires politely.

“Of course, the mad geniuses are debating about the best care for him. They figured that you probably weren’t going to be around for another month, be in town just long enough for his heat, and then leave again since that has been your habit since getting back,” the blonde alpha replies, there is something in his tone that makes him study the taller man.

Nodding, instead of speaking, he debates about whether to put the food here or not. He needs to have a nice long talk with his mate, find out what other details he has missed in the last few years due to his depression. It might also be time to start trying to get past it, rather than staying in the dark place he is currently in mentally.

Giving a small shake of his head, he studies the taller alpha who has gone back to cleaning, though a quick walk around the small flat tells him it’s not all that necessary. This place is already dust free from what he can tell. Actually its military clean. Frowning, he studies the other alpha for a few minutes, trying to place why he is so familiar when it hits.

“You’re Sebastian Moran, ex-sniper, working as a bodyguard these  days if I recall.” He pauses for a minute, “John’s mentioned you, said you worked for his brother and that you were one of the ones who taught him self-defense.”

Nodding once the alpha replies, “That’s correct, along with Lestrade, and the three mad geniuses.”

It takes him a minute to figure out that Lestrade is Greg’s last name, his mate’s long time best friend, and the mad geniuses must by the Holmes brothers and his half-brother.

For a long time neither alpha says anything, finally he inquires, “Is he happy?”

“No. Hasn’t been in two years.” The other alpha snaps at him, one hand resting angrily on his hip, “He wanted his mate. Wanted to be there for him, help him, support him. Hell, John was even willing to give total control over to the manager instead of working at the café. And what did his mate do? Pushed him away and make him feel like unwanted shit! For the last two years, the five of us have watched the slow spiral of depression and, if not for the fact John made each of us promise not to pay you any sort of visit, you would have been hearing about this a lot sooner! Actually, we had to promise not to send minions too. Not the point.” The alpha points at him, still snarling, “That sweet omega, who has abandonment issues due to that piece of shit that sired him, has been fretting that you’re just trying to find a way to tell him you want someone different or don’t want him anymore.” Growling, the taller man steps forward and freezes before spinning around to slug the closest wall, putting a rather large hole in it. “I’ll have a repair team here shortly.”

Blinking, he internally recoils from the fury in this alpha, years of service is the only thing that keeps him from physically recoiling as well. Several things flash quickly through his mind as he stares at the other alpha, the biggest and most important fact being that he is hurting his mate with his behavior. That was never the goal.

“I need to fix things with my mate,” he murmurs to himself as he starts to plan. First off, he knows the younger man appreciates home cooked meals, so he should see if he is willing to have dinner with him the following night since he has a feeling tonight is going to be taken up with him getting reamed by his mate’s four friends and half-brother.

“You can say that again,” the other alpha snarls, his scent all sorts of angry.

He nods, accepting the criticism and understanding he deserves it. He should have considered the bond between himself and his mate. Realized that his depression would bleed over, particularly when his mate was prone to depression on his own.

“We discussed getting a different flat once, before I left on my second tour.” He remarks as he stares the hole in the wall, “Then we had decided to discuss it when I got home so we could get one together since he was staying with Greg while I was away.” Closing his eyes, he takes a deep breath, forcing himself not to try and lash out at the other alpha whose scent is filling the room. “Excuse me, I need to call my mate,” he murmurs before stepping out of the flat and pulling his phone out. He ends up standing there in the hall for a good five minutes while he pulls himself together before pressing the send.

“He’s sleeping. What do you want?” Is the first thing he hears before he even has a chance to say anything.

Blinking, it takes him a minute to identify the voice, however before he can answer a second voice, this one deeper remarks, “If you have finally returned to your senses you may ride back with the overgrown oaf and we will discuss your behavior before you see him.” A moment later the line is dead according to the dial tone coming through his speaker.

Stepping back into the flat, he glances at the fact all the groceries have been put away then states, “I am to ride with the ‘overgrown oaf’ if I have come to my senses.”

Chuckling darkly the taller alpha remarks, “That’s me, as Sherlock likes to call me.” Glancing about the blonde continues, “This place is as clean as it gets; let’s go.”

Sighing internally, he nods once before following the other alpha out, and locking the door behind them. 


	2. Tense Discussion

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tumblr about my stories: [JaimiStoryTeller](http://jaimistoryteller.tumblr.com/)
> 
> Thank you for any form of communication, I love it and it keeps me writing!
> 
> Lots of thanks to NoOrdinarySouthernGirl for all of her help

James’ POV  
The ride from their small shared flat to his brother-in-law’s flat is quiet. He is lost in thought and gets the impression that the alpha driving is working on controlling his temper. When they pull into a parking garage, he closes his eyes for a moment to center himself before getting out of the car. He had left all of his things in the his car but that was alright, items were not why he was here. Casting a quick glance at the taller alpha, he nods once, waiting for him to lead the way.

Scowling, the blonde nods once before the two of them head into the flat complex attached to the garage. Several of the guards and people roaming about give him varying looks, some dirty, some annoyed, some pitying. One alpha even growls at him. He ignores it, focusing instead on following the sniper.

“John’s well liked. The alphas adore and respect him for his ability to work in spite of his hormones and depression, because he is fair to everyone regardless of second gender. The omegas love him for the fact he is willing to work with them, help them find jobs and get training.The beta’s respect him for his hard work and determination,” the taller alpha remarks as he continues walking, heading towards the stairs rather than the elevator.

Giving the taller man a questioning look, the two of them start on the way up the steps.

“Left my keycard upstairs,” the alpha answers the unspoken question. “Easier to work off annoyance when I do not have it. Unlike the three geniuses, I can’t just hack the system.”

“Oh,” he mutters as they go up a second flight.

They are on the third when a dark-haired woman steps onto the landing. “Mr. Holmes requires his presence now, I am to escort you.” She remarks without ever looking away from the phone in her hand.

“Great, if you’re here, that means the four of them have already gathered.” the sniper grumbles as he holds the door for them to go through.

Her eyes barely flicker away from her phone just long enough to relay the message that she feels the sniper is a fool in a glance.

As he passes her, his nose twitches and he is slightly startled that she is a beta. From her posture, he had thought she was an alpha. Silently, the three of them head to the elevator. The ride up is very aggravating. In the confined space of the elevator the blonde alpha’s scent is particularly thick. The small space seems to be full of anger and agitation making his nerves clamor and his instincts rise to the surface. He is relieved when the elevator stops, the door silently sliding open.

Just as quietly the three of them get off the lift. The female beta stays by the door but the alpha heads in, holding it open for him.

Nodding politely, he enters the room, nearly driven to his knees by the scent alone. His vision clouds for a moment at the various emotions swarm him. As he adjusts, he notices that there are three men, all in bespoke suits. They are arranged in a row with the slender, dark-haired alpha he recognizes as his mate’s half-brother, an auburn haired man, and the dark-haired alpha that his mate shares a flat with.

“Take a seat, Mr. Sholto,” the auburn-haired man orders, voice low and commanding, this is a man used to being obeyed.

Straightening, he falls into parade rest, but does not sit. With three alphas at the least all with furious scents, there is no way he will put himself in a vulnerable position.

Stormy eyes narrow on him before the auburn-haired man states clearly, “That was not a request.”

“Seb could help you if you need help being seated,” his brother-in-law states, dark humor filling his tone.

“Or we could,” the dark-haired alpha at the other end offers.

“Why don’t you three sit down first, I wouldn’t sit down in his position either,” he hears the detective inspector remark as he enters the room, “It’s been awhile James.”

“Hello Greg,” he greets the other alpha as he settles on the arm of one of the chairs.

“I’d ask how you’ve been but I know the answer to that already, particularly easy to tell going off of how John’s been lately.” A sarcastic smirk curves his lips as he states, “Beside, I don’t think these four care for the pleasantries right now.”

He nods slowly moving towards the second chair he sees without turning his back on the others. At the seat, he stands by it but waits for the others to find their spots before sitting down. When the auburn-haired man moves to sit on the chair that the detective inspector is perched on he is mildly surprised until he remembers that his mate’s friend was bonded while he was gone. Slowly, the five of them take their seats, almost as if making sure that no one stays standing.

“Now then, since everyone is seated like they should be, let’s have a little chat shall we,” the detective inspector remarks calmly, eyes sweeping the room. “First introductions: James, this is my mate Mycroft Holmes, the curly dark-haired alpha perched on the edge of the sofa is Sherlock Holmes, you’ve previously met Jim, and I am guess you have met Sebastian since you walked in with him.”

“Boring.” The one identified as Sherlock states, “Pointless.”

“Agreed.” his brother-in-law snaps, “Why have you been mistreating John?” his voice is a whip of anger, his scent the primary one in the room.

“Don’t you think it would be best to find out if he even realizes that he’s fucked up?” that’s out of the detective inspector.

“He knows. I sort of already bitched at him.” the blonde alpha remarks.

A soft growl escapes both dark-haired alphas sitting on the sofa, making the blonde alpha on the floor by the fireplace flinch.

“I am aware I have errored in my treatment of John in the last two years,” He answers calmly.

“Give me one reason not to have you shipped off to a war-zone to get killed,” the auburn-haired man identified as Mycroft comments with deceptive calmness. “He would survive the breaking of the bond, we’d make sure of that.”

A shiver crawls down his spine, his instincts telling him that he should believe the other man’s words.

“Boys, remember your long and well written promises,” the detective inspector suggests in a deceptively mild tone.

All three alphas on the floor shoot the detective inspector looks.

“How do you plan to correct the situation?” Mycroft inquires in a cadence that implies he better have an idea and a good one.

“Firstly apologize. Second have a detailed conversation with him,” he replies keeping his voice as even possible.

“Your apology better involve groveling,” his brother-in-law snarls softly.

He does not answer that, merely nods once. His instincts tell him this is more than depression that has this group of men glaring at him.

“Perhaps we should give him something useful to make sure he does not act foolish,” his mate’s flatmate remarks, “I am sure you have plenty of options.”

“Recall I am a cop there, Sherlock,” the detective inspector reminds the dark-haired alpha.

“I would clear it,” the auburn-haired man states levelly.

Chuckling, the detective inspector states, “Again, your agreement with John.”

“Boring.” both dark-haired alphas state at the same time.

Glancing at a clock on the wall, his brother-in-law utters commandingly, “He should be waking up soon, it will be dinner time in roughly half an hour. Sebastian go make sure we have enough food prepared.”

Standing, the blonde alpha nods once before leaving the room.

“May I inquire as to where John is?” he considers calling him his mate, but realizes that the current mood in the room makes it unwise.

“I’ll show you,” the detective inspector answers as he stands, “Mycroft, are we going to stay for dinner?”

The two Holmes brothers share a speaking look before glancing at his brother-in-law.

“We shall,” the auburn-haired man answers.

“Come on, James,” the detective inspector prompts him.

Rising, he follows the other alpha down a hall. “That’s Jim’s room, that’s Sherlock’s, that’s Sebastian’s, and this is John’s.” he states as he motions to the different doors. Stopping in front of the one he motion to as his mate’s the once-dark-haired alpha tells him, “Listen, I know how hard being injured can be. I’ve seen the physical and mental toll it takes, but you will heal better with him than by yourself. At this point, if not for Jim and Sherlock, I am fairy certain that John would either be dead or nearly so because he has been struggling with Abandoned Omega Syndrome.”

His eyes widen at that, a deep chill rushing through his body. He is well aware of AOS and the damage it can do. Why had his mate not told him? Of course he answers his own question moments later, he had not given his mate a chance to. Closing his eyes he nods, focusing on their bond and realizing that it is very fragile.

“Thank you, Greg,” he murmurs before squaring his shoulders and facing the door, “I need to speak with my mate now, I feel him waking.”

“Good luck,” the detective inspector tells him before turning and heading back into the main room.

Lifting his hand, he knocks twice before falling into parade rest once more. 


	3. Is There a Chance?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tumblr about my stories: [JaimiStoryTeller](http://jaimistoryteller.tumblr.com/)
> 
> Thank you for any form of communication, I love it and it keeps me writing!
> 
> Lots of thanks to NoOrdinarySouthernGirl for all of her help

John's POV  
A warm feeling fills him as he wakes. For the first times in months he feels content. Maybe he should have come to his brother's flat sooner. Stretching lazily on the bed, he debates about getting up for a shower before dinner, but decides to just stay in bed relaxing. One thing he loves about here is the fact the room is both sound and scent proof so there is nothing to bother his senses. 

He is startled when there is two sharp knocks at the door. His brother or flatmate would have just walked in, 'Bastian would have put a pattern to his knocks, working on his morse code. So who could be at his door? Maybe it is one of the omegas or betas who works here giving him a message from the other two. 

Standing, he stretches again as he walks across the room to the door. Reaching out, he pulls it open to see what the person on the other side needs. He is not expecting to see his mate and can do nothing more than stare at the tall blonde standing there. 

"James?" He whisper disbelievingly, one hand gripping the door to keep him upright, the other hesitantly reaching towards his mate until he remembers that his mate had not wanted him to touch him in the last two years. 

c~o~O~o~ↄ

James' POV  
The first sight of mate in actual light since the injury that brought him home from the war has him studying his face intently. His John has lost weight, his eyes are tired, there are stress lines around the younger man's lips and eyes, and his sandy blonde hair is already streaked with shimmering silver. As his eyes travel down the younger man, he can see even more clearly the weight loss and the illness his love must has been going through. 

How could he have been such an idiot and forgot the trauma his mate had already survived prior to their meeting? He had promised to always take care of him and yet he has not. 

When the smaller man first reaches for him, he thinks everything will be alright. Then his mate stops himself inches away before withdrawing into himself, a tremble shaking his slight body. 

"James?" the soft voice is lower than normal, disbelief and hope warring in his scent.

"Hello John," he murmurs, eyes searching to see if he is welcome. 

It is only due to quick reflexes that he is able to catch the smaller man as he faints, his body falling forward. Carefully he lifts him, stepping the rest of the way into the room and using his heel to shut the door as he strides over to the bed. Gently, he lays the younger man down, debating about whether to curl up next to him or not. The choice is made for him when John whimpers as he moves away, a sound that tears through him like a knife. 

"Shhhh, love, I'm here, just let me get my boots and coat off and we can cuddle," he reassures the smaller man, voice nearly breaking. 

With speed born of years in the service, he takes his boots off, coat, and heavy long sleeves, setting them aside, before stretching out on the bed and pulling his mate against his chest. His mind is full of self-hate and anger at the harm he has so obviously caused his precious omega. Gently, he strokes one hand down the smaller man's back, his nose pressed against the crown of his head, just breathing in that scent he had missed far more than he realized. 

It takes him several minutes to realize that there has been a change to his scent. A very small change, at this point more of a hint than something definite, but there none the less. Dragging in several deep breathes, his mind works to process the change, breaking his scent apart. There is the John scent he is achingly familiar with that is like coffee, home, and gun oil. There is the touch of his scent, as it has been since the day they bonded, like desert sand. Now there is something just beneath that seems like a blending of the two but not the type of blending brought on by bonding since it has its own unique aftertone.

His mate's pregnant, he realizes, with a child conceived during his last heat. 

Unbelievable joy and stark terror race through him as he kisses the short silvering blonde hair. What if his mate doesn't forgive him? There is a whole group of alphas ready to take care of him. That _have_ been taking care of him. What if he has harmed the chances of this being a successful pregnancy with his behavior? What if he accepts him back but forces him to live in a different room or flat? That would hurt worse than any damage he suffered in the war. They were having a pup of their own! It had been years since they discussed it, but he does remember that his mate loves pups. It was another thing they were going to discuss when he got home only never did because of his foolishness. There is a lot he needs to make up for apparently. 

Small movements are the first sign his loves coming back to. 

Mumbling, his eyes still firmly shut, his mate says, "For a minute I thought James was here, but that's not possible, he doesn't want me anymore."

"You're wrong, John, I do want you," he whispers against the smaller man's head, pressing his lips to the crown of it once more.

Pulling back slightly, the younger man's grey eyes are wide as he stares at him, "James?" he repeats, "But it's not that time yet," he mutters, "You haven't come to see me except for my heats since you got back." His eyes drift shut, "Did I lose a month somewhere? Jim and Sherlock say I have been losing time due to blackouts."

The hand that had been stroking his mates back traces up it one last time before gently cupping his love's cheek. "You haven't lost time, it's not your heat, and I really am here." His voice is soft. Inside, his heart feels like it is shattering into a million pieces over the pain his omega is definitely feeling, and he can now feel because he is not blocking. Guilt is shredding him worse than anything the five could have said.

Sadly his omega mutters, "I don't understand," with a shake of his head.

Pressing his lips against his forehead once more, he explains, "I came back to London because I realized how much I missed you. I could feel a pull that wanted, _needed,_ me to come back." Pressing their foreheads gently together he continues, "I had not realized I was hurting you. I was trying to protect you, but I failed miserably. I'm sorry." Closing his eyes he whispers, "I'm so, so sorry."

Several long minutes pass in silence before his mate snuggles up close to him, head resting on his shoulder. Closing his eyes, he rests his head on top of his mate's and simply breathes him in. 

He is slightly startled when there is a morse code knocking of 'dinner' on the door. 

"Dinner time," his mate states calmly as he wiggles to a sitting position. 

"Morse code?" he queries as he sits up, ignoring how self-conscious he was currently feeling over his scars being easily seen by his mate. He did not care about everyone else except his mate's opinion. 

"'Bastian does it so I can get practice, he says it's useful to know. Jim and Sherlock like the codes I come up with," the younger man answers. Getting to his feet, the smaller man sways for a moment before straightening out, "Let's go eat."

Slowly he nods, getting to his feet and standing next to his mate. 

Just before they step out the bedroom door the younger man turns to look at him questioningly, "Did you mean it?" There is hesitation and fear in his scent.

"Yes," he replies nearly instantly, staring down at his beautiful eyes, "I meant every word. I will understand if you cannot forgive me. At this point I am not sure if you even should."

A smile curves his mate's lips moments before his arms wrap firmly around him and hug him tight, voice softly stating, "Of course I'll forgive you, you're mine."

As his arms close around the smaller man, he finds that he feels far better now than he has at any point in the last two years. He really should have done this sooner. 


	4. Figured Out

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tumblr about my stories: [JaimiStoryTeller](http://jaimistoryteller.tumblr.com/)
> 
> Thank you for any form of communication, I love it and it keeps me writing!
> 
> Lots of thanks to NoOrdinarySouthernGirl for all of her help

James’ POV  
Dinner went surprisingly well, the three very hostile alphas all a lot calmer now that John was up and about though they were still somewhat bitter towards him. The mated couple leaves follow dinner, after telling the two dark-haired alphas not to do anything rash. He’s not surprised by the way both dark-haired alphas hiss at the detective inspector which is when John tells them to calm down too. Eventually, they had retreated back to his mate’s room after the smaller man orders the three alphas to behave.

In his mate’s room he feels slightly awkward since this is not his flat, but ignores that feeling in favor of focusing on his mate.

“John?” he queries softly as he sits on the edge of the smaller man’s bed while he seems to flutter around the room. A nervous tick he had noticed years before when they had first started their courtship.

Freezing for a moment, the younger man glances over at him, “Yes?”

“Can we talk?” he inquires, putting aside his normal habit of not wanting to talk about things regarding emotions or feelings. This was going to be a difficult conversation. Not one he actually wants to have, but one that is necessary.

For a moment the younger man shifts from foot to foot before coming over to settle on the edge of the bed close to his good side, but not touching it. “Alright,” he murmurs, “What do you want to talk about?”

Closing his eyes he, decides to do this in order of importance. That means discussing his mate’s emotional state, probably discussing his, covering the flat and the fact John avoids theirs so they should get a different one. Maybe they can find one near where his mate lives with his flatmate? Let’s see, what else do they need to discuss; the pregnancy, their future. Maybe he should just start the conversation and see where it goes.

“Several things, both of our health, the flat and possibly moving, the fact you’re pregnant, whatever else comes to mind. I’ve been thinking a lot and realize that I have done poorly by you.” He answers softly.

It hurts the way his mate flinches away from him. Reminding him exactly how badly he has done.

“If you say so,” the omega mutters defensively, not looking directly at him.

Silence reigns for several long minutes while he tries to figure out where to start and his love waits for him to say something.

Finally, he figures he best start this or he might lose his nerve. That would be a major disservice to the younger man. “I would ask why you didn’t talk to me about being depressed and the fact you thought I was trying to leave you, except I already understand. I did that to myself by not being there for you. Now that I am here, please tell me anything you think I need to know or you want to say.”

John stares at him, eyes brimming with emotion, jaw set stubbornly. “Will it do any good?” he demands tartly.

He forces himself not to flinch, “Yes.”

“Then why? Why did you push me away? Why couldn’t I be there? What did I do wrong?” There is deep sadness in his voice, hopelessness and anger.

Lifting his chin slightly as he straightens his back, he answers, “Because I am a fool. I thought it would be better if I left you on your own. After all, I was only around for a month out of the year so I thought it would not harm you. I forgot that you could feel my emotions in the bond. I forgot that it would affect you.” He pauses for a moment, taking a deep breath, “I was wrong.” He tries to smile reassuringly but is certain it fails, “John, you did nothing, _nothing_ , wrong. It was completely me.”

Silence falls between them once more, he hopes that his mate will be willing to discuss things, but understands why he might not. Agitatedly, the younger man gets up and paces for across the room. His smaller body moving from side to side while he works off his excess energy.

Suddenly the smaller man turns to him, snarling, “It hurt damn it! It hurt worse than when William threw me out, leaving me in the middle of London with nothing but the clothes on my back and in my duffle bag. It hurt worse than discovering that I could never follow my dream of being an army doctor because of a heart murmur that was sporadic thus medication could not be easily regulated.”

His mate suddenly stops, head dropping as he tries to take shallow breathe, arms crossing in front of him against his chest.

Standing, he swiftly moves to his mate’s side, unsure whether he should pull the smaller man to him, or continue past to the door to fetch his brother-in-law. “John?” he questions calmly, one hand tentatively reaching for his mate but stopping just shy of touching him because he is not sure his touch is welcome right now. Uncertainly he queries, “Do you want me to fetch Jim?”

He is surprised when his mate shakes his head and presses closer without actually touching him. It is then he realizes he is more hesitant than his mate. Carefully, he wraps his arms loosely around the smaller man’s shoulders and tugging him closer.

“It’s alright John, everything will be alright,” he murmurs as he holds him, “Just let go, I got you.”

“But do you? How do I know you’re not going to leave me again?” His mate’s timbre is husky, broken.

Closing his eyes, he answers, “I know I’ve made it hard to trust me, but I am going nowhere.”

Slowly, the younger man’s arms slip around his waist and he scoots just a little closer, bridging the distance between them.

“I missed you,” his mate just about keens.

Holding him just a bit tighter, he mumbles comfortingly, “I know love. I realize that now. It’s alright, it will be alright.”

He can feel his shirt getting sopping wet from where his mate’s tears fall, each breath and sob is felt like a knife cutting through him. At the same time it was wonderful because it felt like they were finally getting past all of the pain and sorrow. He’d accept every ounce of pain if only it would make his John feel better. He couldn’t tell you how long they stood there, his arms wrapped his beautiful mate while the younger man finally let go off all the pain. Eventually the tears slowed but his mate does not move away, he stays where he is hugging him.

“You said I’m pregnant, how could I be pregnant? I take my birthcontrol like clockwork and we use the heat pills. They’ve never failed before!” His mate’s just about screeches as he steps back to stare at him.

Focusing on his scent, he tries for relaxing, wanting his mate to calm down. “Sometimes, when an omega is going through AOS, their body will override contraceptives in order to draw the alpha back and give the omega a reason to keep living. It is part of the reason the military has such strict rules regarding bonded alphas and omegas.”

Glaring, his mate hisses, “I know that! I did finish medical school, I just don’t understand how I-” he suddenly stops, his voice getting very soft, “That’s why Jim’s been so furious. He watched his mum die of AOS and I have been going through it. Oh shit.” He turns on his heel and is out of the room before he has a chance to stop him.

Silently he follows the younger man, still concerned about his emotional state and health.

In the living room he finds the brothers together, the alpha’s slender arms wrapped around his mate. Their cheeks pressed close together as they speak inaudibly with each other. There is clearly a case of comfort between them.

The blonde alpha staying back and merely observing as well, a speculative expression on his face.

When his eyes meet his brother-in-law’s there is clear understanding that if he ever pulls a stunt like this again, he’ll pay for it in the most painful way possible.

He nods once in understanding.

Eventually the two brothers step a part, his mate smiling fondly at the dark-haired genius. He is surprised with the look in the alpha’s eyes, it’s shockingly warm and affectionate. As soon as he glances up a coldness fills his eyes, the change is startling fast.

“It’s alright,” he hears his mate comment as his hand presses against his half-brother’s jaw.

“Go relax,” the alpha gently orders, amusement enters his voice as he continues, “Now that you are aware I get to properly take care of you, which includes telling you to take it easy. I’ll make sure the café is run the way you want it.”

“Just because you’re two years older doesn’t mean I have to listen. However, I am going to enjoy the sound and scent proofing of my room.” There is a playful quality to his words.

“We don’t need to know that Johnny-boy,” the blonde alpha remarks as he chuckles.

His omega smirks at the older men, before cocking his head to the side and asking, “Where’s Sherlock?”

“Checking to see if the flats done yet, something about too many people here,” the sniper responds.

“I think he’s bored of my company,” his brother-in-law states playfully, “Perhaps I should cause trouble just to catch his interest.”

“No, you two behave and no playing games with Sherlock that involve other people. I’m still listening to bitching about the last one,” his mate remarks, “Why don’t you two play a game of hide and seek, I’m sure with your memories you can keep each other entertained. ‘Bastian stays out, so its only the you and Sherlock.”

Popping his neck, the dark-haired alpha replies, “That has some merit to consider. What type of rules?”

“The two rules I always make you two agree to.” his mate responds seriously.

In a bored tone, his brother-in-law recites, “No injuring, maiming, harming, or killing of any civilians or innocents. No lasting physical effects on each other.” Grumbling the dark-haired alpha states, “The things I agree on for you. Now go.”

“Bring some food down later?” his love asks the blonde alpha.

“Of course, anything in particular?”

“Fruity and salty, you figure it out.”

“Omegas, you eat such weird foods.”

Smiling, his mate returns to his side, and after a moment’s pause takes his hand before heading back to the bedroom. Once in the room the younger man shuts the door and locks all four locks before smiling shyly at him.

Curious he asks, “Why did you lock it so many times?”

“Slow’s Sherlock down in case he wants to come in,” his mate responds taking of his shoes, “I appreciate the fact my room is sound and scent proof, but it’s sometimes a frustrating thing.”

He smiles, understanding that it was more for his sake than his mate’s.

“Did you mean it when you said we would discuss getting a different flat?” his omega asks as he settles onto his bed.

Nodding, he joins him, “I did, perhaps one near your alpha friend?” He offers. Its in the city but perhaps they could find somewhere sort of quiet and possibly they could visit the cottage from time to time when things would get too much.

John’s eyes widen as he stares at him, “You’d do that?”

He nods slowly, simply stating, “I want you to be happy. Your life is here between the café, career, friends, and that crazy brother of yours.”

“Jim’s not crazy, just a bit bipolar,” his mate grumbles as he scoots a little bit closer, “James?”

“Yes?” he responds, settling an arm behind his mate but not touching him.

“You’re not upset about me being pregnant are you?” the younger man asks.

Shaking his head slowly, he answers, “No love, I’m not upset about your pregnancy. Scared? Perhaps a bit. Worried? Of course, I’ve errored with you. What will happen with a pup? Excited? A bit, I sort of thought we would discuss whether we wanted to try or not, but that makes me no less happy about it.”

Curious, his omega mentions, “You’re being awful open right now.”

Sighing, he answers the unspoken question in that sentence. “Because I realize I have been wrong.”

Hesitantly, John’s head barely lays against his shoulder, as if wanting to cuddle and not sure he is welcome. Tilting his head, he presses his lips against his mate’s temple. For a long while the two of them just sit there, his arm just a bit closer now that his mate has leaned into him. He enjoys breathing in his mate’s scent, wondering how he could have ever of thought he would be better off with his mate elsewhere.

“Do we have to talk about the rest now?” his love eventually inquires softly.

“We can discuss it whenever you want,” he answers, “I’m going to try and be a better alpha John, one worthy of you and our pup.”

Quietly, his mate nods once before closing his eyes, his head resting a bit firmer on his shoulder. Eventually he scoots them further on the bed, stretching his legs out, and pulling the younger man up beside him. The two of them fall asleep wrapped in each other’s arms.


	5. Time Shared

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tumblr about my stories: [JaimiStoryTeller](http://jaimistoryteller.tumblr.com/)
> 
> Thank you for any form of communication, I love it and it keeps me writing!
> 
> Lots of thanks to NoOrdinarySouthernGirl for all of her help

James’ POV  
In the days following his return to London they stayed at his brother-in-law’s flat at night. During the day hours however they were rarely there. He went to the café with John, enjoying watching the younger man in his element with the customers and employees. On days they were not at the café, his mate went to several of the omega shelters to help provide healthcare to those living there. Even more shocking was the alpha shelter he went to, though there were two guards who seemed to appear out of nowhere when they got to the door and stayed with him the entire time. In the afternoons they searched for a flat, but none of the ones they had looked at seemed to fit their needs.

Two weeks after his return, they were eating dinner with the blonde sniper when the alpha suggests, “What about that flat across from Baker Street where the dark-haired woman lives?”

Tilting his head to the side, his mate answers questioningly, “Someone lives there and it’s not up for sale?”

Waving a hand lazily in a manner very similar to his boss, the sniper replies, “She is for hire, so evicting her is not a big deal, I just find something for her to do,” there is a dark glimmer in the alpha’s gray eyes that he does not want to know about.

Groaning, his omega rubs his hand over his eyes as he sighs, “You two didn’t.”

“Right, we didn’t. We’ve been playing nice. Well,” there is a pause while the other alpha shrugs, “I’ve been playing nice. I never speak for him.”

“Except for when I tell you to,” his brother-in-law states as he walks in, eyes sweeping the room. “That is a brilliant idea, of course it will cause a bit of reordering but that’s perfectly acceptable.” Sprawling on the sofa, the dark-haired alpha studies him for a long minute before announcing, “It would work. Enough distance for territorial issues not to be there, space for the pup, and John can keep mother-henning my favorite distraction, which he both loathes and appreciates. Sebastian, make sure it is done tomorrow.”

“You do remember we’re talking about our flat not yours right?” his love inquires of his brother, arching a blonde brow at him challengingly.

Rolling his eyes the alpha response, “Of course, but you are simple to read, I could have found at least five places in less than an hour had you let me. You’re dear to me, but I don’t want you nesting here, you need your own territory for that. Since my playmate is not always good at cleaning up after himself and needs to hire a proper cleanup crew, it’s best that you find somewhere else. You don’t want to live too far away however and C would take too much effort to make it pup safe in time.”

Turning to him, his mate’s eyes shimmering in aggravation and amusement, the younger man asks, “What do you think?”

He takes a long minute to answer because he is not sure how to answer. Particularly since he feels as if he is missing part of the information and he never likes to answer with missing information.

“Best answer here is being quiet,” the blonde sniper suggests.

Picking up a fork, his mate chucks it at the alpha with a snort, chuckling when the blonde catches it with ease.

“You’re aims better with a handgun,” the sniper remarks as he sets the fork aside.

“You know how to shoot?” he inquires, surprised since guns are a rare thing for the public to see let alone know how to use.

His mate blushes and ducks his head nodding.

“Crack shot with most handguns, alright aim with rifles,” the sniper answers as his mate seems to turn a deeper shade of pink, “We practiced during the trips to the States and whenever he is feeling particularly stressed at the firing range.”

Glancing at his mate he can tell he is embarrassed however his scent says he is also worried. Why is he worried? It takes him a minute to reason through it and understand that it is not normal for an omega with no military or police force training to know how to use a gun. That there are a lot of people who think anyone not in the military or law enforcement knowing how to use a gun must be a criminal.

He smiles at his mate, remarking quietly, “I’m lucky to have such a talented mate.”

Blinking rapidly, his John stares at him in shock.

“As for the flat, shall we speak with the owner since both of them seem convinced that she would be willing to sell?” He continues with a glance between them.

He wouldn’t say things had smoothed out between himself and the other two alphas in the flat, however there was a lot less open hostility and he would be pleased if they could find their own flat. He was not sure why they were not staying at Baker Street, but thinks it has something to do with having a perfectly silent and scent proof room here which he has withdrawn to at night when feeling stressed.

“I’ll call her tomorrow and make arrangements,” the sniper remarks, “For now, I’m off.”

“I’d say behave but that is asking too much,” his mate replies with a smirk, his scent calming, “G’night boys,” he remarks as he stands and yawns.

Both alphas immediately focus on him, “You better not be pushing yourself too hard,” the sniper states at the same time as his brother-in-law comments, “Sleep is good for you.”

Smiling fondly, the blonde omega replies, “Says the man who goes two or three days without sleep or food when not reminded sometimes,” his hand coming to rest on his shoulder.

With a nod to the other two he stands, resting a hand on his mates back as they leave the room. In their room, the two of them end up curled up together on the bed. His beautiful John falling asleep almost as soon as his head hits his chest and arm curls round his middle. It gives him time to think about the little things he is learning about his love that he had not previously known.

The following day is a café day. Allowing him to enjoy watching as his mate flutters around, happily working on his various projects with the café. The café’s entire staff seems to have gotten used to his sitting quietly in a corner observing with John occasionally stopping to give him a treat to snack on or try and something to drink. At lunch time a rather raggedy looking alpha delivers a note and buys a hot chocolate before ambling out.

“Flat viewing at seven if available,” his love tells him, before shaking his head and returning to the kitchen as he grumbles about silly alphas.

Just before five the manager, a dark-skinned omega named Oba, shows up to take care of the afternoon shift and shoo his mate out of the kitchen.

Peevish without actual heat behind it, his mate comes over to where he is at and plops down, “I’ve been evicted from my own kitchen.”

He arches an eyebrow questioningly at the younger man.

Still petulant his mate answers his unspoken question, “The four of them have all told Oba I am not to overwork, and anything more than six hours is too much for me currently.”

It takes most of his control not to smile at the adorable frustrated look on his mate’s face. “Four?” he repeats, trying to determine which of the five he had not counted.

“Jim, Sebastian, Sherlock, and Mycroft,” the blonde omega replies, his voice mildly annoyed and affectionate, “I would think that Mycroft, as a fellow working omega, would understand wanting to stay busy.”

“Perhaps he realizes how hard you push yourself and is trying to make sure you do not over do it?” he suggests gently, “Let’s go get dinner before its time to go see the flat.”

“Have I ever taken you to Angelo’s?” the younger man inquires as they stand.

“I do not believe so,” he responds while lightly settling his hand on the smaller man’s back. Since his reunion with his mate he has made it a point to touch the younger man more often, mostly in little ways such as his hand resting on his back, running his fingers through his mate’s short blonde hair while they are seated together, brushing their hands against each other in passing, and even random light hugs. The result had been remarkable. His mate seems to be bloom, looking far healthier than he had seen him in years.

“Well it’s not too far from the flats, we can stop at Baker Street afterwards,” the omega tells him happily, as they head to the car.

“John?” he inquires as they slide into his vehicle, he prefers to drive himself rather than allow others to drive. However he is curious about how his mate gets around when he is not here now that he is.

“Yeah?” there is a small worry line between he brows.

Smiling reassuringly that it’s nothing bad, he asks, “Do you drive?”

“I can but I don’t very often. When I am with Sherlock I use cabs or walk, with Jim or Mycroft one of their drivers, with Greg he drives us, and when I am on my own it depends on where I am as to how I get somewhere because both Jim and Mycroft are prone to sending me a car to use, even occasionally argue about which one I should use. Why do you ask?” his mate answers with a tilt of his head.

“Just curious, I noticed you never asked about driving, and walk a lot.” He responds before asking where they need to go.

Nodding at his answer, the younger man directs him where to go. At an Italian restaurant, he meets the owner and primary cook who seems to adore his mate and lectures him for nearly ten minutes on making sure that he has food before wandering off. It is done with such a scent of caring and tone of affection that he does not take offense at it. Through the entire rave, his mate’s face grows progressively pinker, and he ducks his head a bit. Dinner itself goes smoothly, with them quietly talking with each other about various things they had done during the years they were bonded but lived apart while he was in the military. Slowly he had coaxed out stories of what his life is like. He learns more about the things he had only got brief descriptions of in their letters. With every little detail he learns, he discovers new talents or depth to his mate. His pride for his accomplishments grows. Somehow, despite going to school full time, running a business, and doing volunteer work with the different omega shelters plus that one alpha shelter, he had still managed to find time to write him and record his adventures.

“Have you considered getting them published?” he inquires before glancing at his watch and realizing how close it is to when they are supposed to look at the flat.

“No one is interested in the tales from an omega unless it happens to be about heats and sex.” His mate replies, “We need to get going.”

He nods, looking for the bill, “Where’s the bill?”

“We won’t get one,” the blonde replies with a chuckle, “I helped with his daughter’s health and since then I never get charged, just like Sherlock never gets charged.”

“Oh,” he mutters, deciding to leave a nice sized tip instead before the two of them are off.

A few minutes later they are parked and his mate waves to an older woman across the street with a smile. The beta that meets them at the door seems like a friendly enough women. There is something cold in her eyes that he is familiar with seeing in soldiers who have fought on the front lines and killed. The entire time they are near her, his mate sticks close to his side, a nervousness he is not used to in the younger man’s scent. The flat ends up being perfect for their needs, it has three bedrooms, two bathrooms, a decent sized kitchen and den area, there is even a decent basement attached to it. After several minutes discussing it, they ask after the price and are surprised when she only asks for what is left on her original contract, making it a lot lower than he expected, though it will still take a fairly large bite out of his savings.

“We would like to accept your offer,” he informs the beta.

She nods once, replying, “I’ll have all the paperwork drawn up and delivered to where?”

Without thinking about it his mate answers with his brother’s address, “I’ll have Jim double check everything to make sure its all in order.”

He can see the way her eyes widen slightly, even smell the worry that suddenly enters her scent as she agrees.

When they exit the flat, he glances at his mate and raises a questioning eyebrow at the smaller man.

Shrugging, John just leads them across the street, unlocking the front door and slipping in with ease. Quietly he knocks twice on the flat number 221A, before stepping back a bit and waiting. Less than a minute later that older lady he had waved to earlier opens the door with a huge smile when she looks between the two of them, before grabbing his mates hand and tugging him in.

“John! I wondered when you were going to remember to pay me a visit! Who’s this lovely creature? You finally decided to bring your mate here after nearly five years of having a room? How wonderful! I just made tea and biscuits!” she babbles at the younger man as she grabs his arm and drags him into the flat, however she does pretty much the same with him, using her other hand to latch on and tug him in. “He is a lovely one isn’t he? No wonder you kept him away! Though your room might be a bit small for the two of you. He’s rather tall.”

“Mrs. Hudson, please breath,” his mate mutters as he moves about the kitchen with familiarity, “Mrs. Hudson, my mate James Sholto. James, Mrs. Hudson, landlady not house keeper, but makes a wonderful variety of biscuits.”

He finds the older omega woman a bit overwhelming with the way she seems to flutter for a moment and her comments. She must be joking, he thinks, but her scent says otherwise.

“How lovely, I had wondered when he first moved in why he smelled bonded but there was no one ever around, for the longest time I thought he might have been only partially bonded to Sherlock, but he made it a point to tell me his mate was an honorable sort in the army. I’m happy to see your alive and well, he’s been so sad during the last few years.” She remarks in rapid fire, looking at him as she does so.

Blinking, he tries to determine what he is supposed to respond to when he feels rescued by the arrival of his mate’s flatmate.

“Mrs. Hudson? Have you seen John yet, he’s late,” the alpha just about demands as he comes flying down the steps according to scent and sound. “Catch up with him later, I’m borrowing him now,” and with that his mate’s hand is grabbed and he is dragged off.

“Oh dear, I forgot he has a surprise for John waiting in the living room, you best run along dear,” she tells him as she pats his arm and makes shooing motions towards the door.

“Madam,” he states politely as he heads out it and up the steps, following the sound of the dark-haired alpha’s voice.

What he discovers is his mate sitting in the middle of the floor with a pile of cloth made items surrounding him. The dark-haired alpha is pointing at each and excitedly talking, voice rapid-fire and difficult to keep up. After glancing about he notices a chair with a Union Jack pillow and decides to settle on it to continue listen. Slowly realizing that the younger man is talking about the safety of each type of fabric and what they are used for, along with presenting a painted wooden crib with a handmade crib mattress. He cannot help the shock at the idea of this particular alpha making something, particularly when all of the stories his mate has told him are about the adventure they have shared. Only a small voice in the back of his head reminds him that not only does the younger alpha solve crimes for the puzzles but he also has a studio where he works on various types of art and science projects based on his mood.

“Thanks Sherlock!” his mate exclaims as his hands travel over every inch of the crib before moving on to the mattress. “Look at this James,” there is excitement in his voice, “But we have nowhere to store for the moment.”

“Keep it in your room upstairs for the moment,” the dark-haired alpha states dismissively, “Annoying messaged me and said you were getting your own flat rather than continuing to bounce between the three flats?”

“Yeah the one across the road that belongs to that beta woman,” his mate responds as he continues to trace the patterns on the wood.

“The one that belongs to the assassin?” the youngest inquires as he throws himself across the sofa, “I thought she was around to keep an eye on you?”

Rolling his eyes, his omega snorts, “More likely she was to keep an eye on you, not me. I’m one of the boring ones remember?”

“Please, if you were boring the three of us would not have discussions about which one of us gets to keep you and we wouldn’t have had to develop a sharing schedule. Can’t say the same thing about your mate. We do not wish to share him, though I believe there were a couple of different methods of getting rid of him in the planner if he hadn’t come around.” The alpha retorts as he stretches out and tilts his head so he can watch the omega still touching the crib. “I’m going to make some throw rugs and curtains too, all of them resistant to chemicals and fire, plus safe for if your pup is a chewer.”

Smiling fondly, his mate states, “That’s sweet of you. But you better remember and remind the other two of the promise you all made.”

“Why do you think he is still alive?”

His body tense at that, it is very odd to hear someone talk of murdering him as if it is nothing of importance. It is even more shocking is the fact his John seems to take it in stride. Why would he take it so easily, they should probably discuss this. When he had been in recovery he had gotten a lot of death threats from families of some of the soldiers who had been with him during the ambush and then they had just stopped. Now he is wondering why and getting the feeling that he is missing some details.

“Now Sherlock, we’ve already had this discussion once before. Actually I had it with all four of you. Do I need to repeat it?” there is steel in his love’s tone as he demands an answer.

Swinging into a sitting position the younger man shakes his head once, “Three of us have edict memories, repeating it is worthless.”

“Then watch it before I clean the fridge of all experiments,” there is a threat in the omegas tone this time.

“John,” the alpha replies in a whine.

“Don’t ‘John’ me! I was serious then and still am, and I am tired so we’re going to take this upstairs then go back to Jim’s to sleep.”

Pouting the younger alpha nods, “You’re not nice.”

Smirking, his mate stands, “Of course not, I have to deal with you four, if I was nice you’d walk all over me,” he grabs the mattress, eyeing the crib.

Understanding that this is his loves way of saying its time to get out of here, he carefully lifts it, surprised at how light it is considering it is wood. Following his mate out of the main part of the flat and carefully up a set up steps where he finds a small bedroom with a bed and wardrobe that smells heavily of his mate and nothing else. As he glances around he understands why the landlady said that he would have a hard time fitting here, he has seen tents in the desert that are bigger.

“This is my room here,” John says as he comes to stand beside him after he settles the crib by the wall, noticing it takes up most of the floor. “I have rooms here, at Jim’s, and over to Greg and Mycroft’s. They really do share my time, though I spend the majority of it when not working with Sherlock or Jim because Greg is busy with work. Shall we go home?”

Smiling, he gives his mate a hug, kissing his forehead, “Alright,” he is surprised to find that he is alright with calling Jim’s flat home for now.

After bidding the landlady and his mate’s flatmate farewell, the two of them leave.


	6. New Flat

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tumblr about my stories: [JaimiStoryTeller](http://jaimistoryteller.tumblr.com/)
> 
> Thank you for any form of communication, I love it and it keeps me writing!
> 
> Lots of thanks to NoOrdinarySouthernGirl for all of her help
> 
> * * *

James’ POV

Three days after they had looked at the flat it was available for moving in, he was still trying to decide whether to apply for a lone or not when his mate surprised him by writing a check for the amount and handing it over to the beta woman when they exchanged keys just after breakfast. Once she was gone, his mate had set to opening every window without saying a word to get the place aired out, shaking his head as he checks the glass with his finger tip.

“Interfering brothers,” the omega mutters before wandering around for a few minutes, his hand touching the surface.

“You only have one brother,” he states questioningly.

“Mycroft adopted me because of my close relationship with Greg and Sherlock, so I have one biological and three non-biological brothers. Greg’s family has also claimed me, giving me a pair of omega sisters there, along with the mates and children, and parents, let’s not forget parents. Along with a lot of the omegas I have helped claim me as family too,” his mate answers, turning towards him the younger man hesitantly asks, “Is it alright I bought the flat outright?”

He nods solemnly once, “It is, I am surprised that you had not previously bought somewhere if you could do so easily.”

“We were going to get a flat together, and ummm, I still wanted that, but that little flat was depressing when you were not around, which is why I stayed with them instead.”

Understanding that his mate needs to be comforted at the moment, he steps up to him and pulls him into a tight hug, before tilting his head just a bit and gently pressing their lips together. They had already bypassed when he would have had his heat had he not been pregnant. According to the doctor it was perfectly safe for them to continue to have relations if they wanted, but they had not had any since his return and he was not sure as to exactly why however he refused to pressure his mate. As far as he cared he had already done enough damage with his behavior, he would not do more if he could avoid it.

“Shall we see what all we need to purchase for here?” he suggests afterwards, still holding his mate.

Chuckling, his mate burrows against his chest, arms wrapped firmly around him, “I wouldn’t be surprised if the others decided to furnish this place, of course we will have to get rid of any bugs any of them decide to install.”

“Why would they install bugs?” he inquires, this is another one of those things that makes no sense to him.

“Jim and Mycroft have stalker issues while trying to be protective. Only reason my rooms don’t have bugs at their homes is Greg and Sebastian, Sherlock does not allow bugs in the flat either.” Sighing, his mate settles on the edge of the sofa that had been left behind, “Mycroft works for the government in a position of importance. I never asked exactly what it is I just know that it comes with a lot of danger. Jim sort of works for Mycroft in an even more dangerous position, again I never asked exactly what. As such, Sherlock, Greg, and I are all carefully tracked to make sure no one tries to use us against them.”

A lot of the comments the auburn-haired man and his brother-in-law made that first night in town now make a lot more sense to him. He also realizes he understands why Sebastian has commented on minions. If they worked in the government in a position that allowed for death with the ease that they spoke of it, then they were either MI5 or MI6, both were departments he had to deal with when he was still active duty, and knew that for every person he had ever interacted with, there was at least six to ten more that he had not. Well that explained a lot.

“Out of curiosity, do you know how long they have worked together?” he inquires as he sits down beside his mate.

Blushing, his mate ducks his head and mutters, “Late summer 2000.”

That was around the time they had bonded as well. Why would they have started working together then? Thinking about it for a bit, he remembers that his mate had that dinner he had to host a few weeks before they had bonded, he had been on assignment at the time and unable to attend.

“That dinner a few weeks before we bonded?” he asks, knowing his mate will understand the rest of the question.

“Yeah, my brother and my best-friend’s mate were literally trying to kill each other, so I decide it had to stop.” John’s blush gets deeper and his scent is both embarrassed and satisfied. “So I came up with a plan, enlisted Sherlock who I had only known for a few months, and Sebastian who I had known for years, to help me. I got what I wanted in the end, and in the process went from three protectors to five.” Cocking his head to the side and glancing at him through his lashes his mate remarks, “Mycroft even offered me a job, not that I took it.”

Before he has a chance to answer his mate, he hears the door and a loud, “Damn it Sherlock! You’re supposed to knock and wait to be invited in!” from Greg.

Giggling, his mate leans his head on his shoulder, muttering, “We’re being invaded.”

Despite how annoying the idea is, he is also alright with it because his mate is happy according to his scent. He’ll spend a little bit of time with them before evicting them all to spend time with just his mate. It is his hope that now that they have a place his John seems happy with that they will be able to connect the way they had when they had first bonded, back before the injury that had invalided him from the military and his depression set in. Hopefully the five will not come in an out a lot, because he really does prefer his privacy. Maybe they could set an area up where his mate could spend time with the others when they came to visit so the rest of the flat would not get a lot of their scent. While he is certain he will adjust to them in time, right now he just wants to make this place theirs.

“Mind if we come in John?” the detective inspector inquires from the door, holding his companion by the arm.

“Why would he mind?” the dark-haired alpha from across the street demands.

He can hear the eye roll in the following statement, “He’s a nesting omega, of course he might not want you in the flat until he has finished nesting. Gezzzz, there are times I think you forgot basic biology.”

“Deleted it. It did not seem important,” the younger alpha mutters.

“I’m not nesting yet so you can come in for a few minutes but then we need to go shopping, this place is rather bare.” His mate answers as he snuggles just a bit closer so they are pressed from shoulder to knee against each other on his unmarred side.

“If its furniture shopping the only thing you will need to get is the stuff for your bedroom, the living room, kitchen, and dining room are all covered. I claimed rights to helping with the nursery and surprisingly enough our brothers didn’t argue.” Sherlock states as he leans against the wall opposite of where they are seated. “Our brothers had a bit of a shooting match to determine who got to do the flat warming gifts.”

“I would like to note I told Myc that maybe you’d want to go shopping on your own, at which point I got a very long and dull explanation of why this was better, including the fact you have been avoiding shops more often lately except for the café and the fact your mate’s antisocial.” Glancing at him the other alpha shrugs slightly and states, “Sorry.”

“It is a fact,” he replies, of all of the people his mate deals with often, the detective inspector is the only one that he gets along with for their own sake and not his mates. “I am not fond of people as a rule.”

“What do you mean a shooting match?” his mate inquires curiously.

Rolling his eyes, the youngest one in the room answers his mate’s question, “They had a target contest first and when they both tied, they decided to do the obstacle course with the laser guns. Mycroft won the first round, Jim won the second round, and Andrea won the third round when she got both of them when they were not looking because apparently both had meeting and the sniper did not want to interrupt.” Smirking, the dark-haired alpha concludes, “So you get a complete kitchen set from Andrea, a dining room set from Jim, and a living room set from Mycroft. Which means the kitchen and living room will be to your tastes because she’ll check with you first.”

He chuckles at the looks of annoyance and affection on his omega’s face only to stop when he turns his eyes on him and states in shock. Self conscious he stops, straightening and returning to a neutral expression. Why is his mate staring at him?

“Because it is the first he has heard you laugh or chuckle since your return from the war. He is actually quite happy with it and desires that you are not so self-aware.” The dark-haired alpha tells him crossly.

“Be nice Sherlock, not everyone can read situations and people the way you three do.” the detective inspector orders quietly.

Glaring at his brother-in-law that order is ignored. “They’re mates. I would hope he could read his emotions easily enough. Particularly since he could _use the damn bond._ ” The dark-haired alpha snarls putting emphasis on the end of the sentence and making him feel like a fool for not thinking of it.

“No experiments for you for a week,” his mate snaps getting up and grabbing his phone, fingers quickly typing in a number before he is speaking to someone while wandering in the other room.

The detective inspector starts laughing, while the dark-haired alpha stares after his mate a pouting expression in his eyes though not on his face, he merely sits there thinking. A small part of his mind wondering why he had not considered doing so, remembering that when they first bonded he used to do that fairly often. Well then, he would have to start doing so again. Less than a minute later his mate is back, settling into his spot next to him. For several minutes the four of them visit, though he is getting a headache from the way the dark-haired alpha jumps between subjects so easily.

When the detective inspectors phone goes off he sighs before, stating, “Well, we’re off, we have a murderer to catch.”

“What if I don’t want to?” Sherlock demands sullenly.

Rolling his eyes, his mate answers, “Then don’t, however you are not hanging out here all day, once we’re settled I’ll come visit alright?”

Stormy eyes study his mate for one long moment before nodding, spinning on his heel, and leaving without another word.

“How’d we end up with three of them?” his mate’s friend inquires with a shake of his head.

“One’s my brother, you married one, and the third one is your brother-in-law?” his mate responds with a chuckle.

“Oh yeah, thanks for clearing that up, see you later.” Turning towards the door, he pauses, as if he remembers something, “The girls want me to tell you that you are to invite them for dinner or come to dinner sometime before summers out. Also, the folks are expecting you to ‘finally present his alpha or we are coming for a visit to make sure he is good for him’,” the detective inspector comments as he stretches, “Later.”

“’Bye Greg! Don’t let them drive you too batty,” his mate replies with a grin, glancing at him, the younger man continues, “We might want to make plans for visits, ‘cause the Lestrade family will carry through on the promise to come visit.”

It does not take much to remember that the Lestrade’s are Greg’s family. He can still clearly recall the other alpha telling him that he was expected to meet the family sometime, and the confusion that had followed because he knows that beside’s his brother, his mate doesn’t really have family. They had disowned him for being an omega, something he never understood. There is nothing wrong with omegas.

“After we get everything settled, we can have a dinner and invite them all at once to get it out of the way?” he suggests after several minutes of thinking about it.

Apparently it was the right suggestion because his mate beams at him, giving him a quick hug before going back to touching all of the walls in the flat. He watches with a mild sense of amusement, and a quiet joy that his mate is claiming their territory, something he never did with the other flat.

“John?” he queries as his thoughts turn to the small flat.

“Yeah?” his mate replies as he stops between the kitchen and living room, tilting his head to the side, and studying him inquisitively.

“What shall we do with the little flat?” he inquires softly.

Shrugging, the blonde seems unsure of what to say, almost like afraid to give the wrong answer according to scent, “Ummmmm, rent it out or sell it?” he suggests hesitantly.

He nods, “Alright.”

Silence falls between them, an edge of worry and relief tinting it, making him wonder if the subtext is purely in his mind or really there.

Three soft taps at the door keep him from asking as his love goes to answer.

“Good morning John,” he hears that dark-haired beta woman from when he first returned to London greet his mate, as the two of them step into the room she nods slightly in his direction, “Major Sholto.”

“Hullo A, Greg said you’d be stopping by,” his mate replies with a smile, “I’d offer tea but I don’t think there is any here yet.”

She smiles warmly at him before motioning to the sofa, “I am only here on my break anyways,” she answers before handing over a tablet, “I have been given charge of mine and Mr. Holmes flatwarming gifts, and since I understand perfectly well of designing a home should be done by the home owner, I have brought this along so you may select what you like in comfort. Don’t bother trying not to pick, he’ll get impatient and pick something himself, believe me, his tastes while excellent for clothing, are horrid for house design. Just text me when you’re done,” she tells them as she lets go of it. “Now then, back to managing, I mean working for, one of the most annoying men I have ever met.”

As quickly as she is there, she is gone, leaving him wondering how he got drawn into this. Beside him, his mate is chuckling low in his throat while shaking his head.

“That’s A for you, you can call her practically any ‘A’ name and she will answer to it, mostly because she changes her name depending on her mood, which means there are times she will use the same one for days or weeks, and other times she will go through five or six of them in a day.” the omega seated next to him tells him, “Of all the minions between Jim and Mycroft, she’s my favorite beside Sebastian.”

A small part of him is jealous of the idea that his mate is fond of a non-familial alpha like that, but he understands that the sniper had been one of John’s protectors longer than he has actually known him.

“Shall we see what sort of options she put on here?” his love asks as he scoots back next to him so they are pressed together once more.

He smiles, loosely wrapping his arm around his mate. The next several hours until he hears the younger man’s stomach start to growl are spent with them looking through the various options on the tablet, occasionally John will read the notes that the beta had left on a piece aloud, most the time chuckling at her sarcastic comments and remarks. They easily decide on the kitchen set, picking a design and layout that would work well with the current one and give John plenty of space to do things with. Since his mate loves cooking, he thinks that’s a brilliant idea. The living room set is a little harder since it is difficult to pick one based on looks alone. Again it is the notes that have his mate chuckling when he reads them aloud. Once the choices are selected, his mate sends a text message off to the beta, receiving an answer seconds later.

-Want the walls and floor redone?- A

“Do we like the walls and floors as is?” his mate inquires looking around and showing him the message, “Personally I am alright with them, particularly with the color schemes picked, what do you think?”

He shrugs and answers, “I am fine with it. Personally I want you to be happy.”

Nodding, his mate quickly sends of a text message. Less than a minute later he gets a reply.

“Shall we go eat? By the time we get back the furniture from Mycroft and A will be installed and set up.” His mate suggests, “We can go bedroom shopping, have this entire place outfitted in a day pretty much.”

After thinking about it for a bit, he nods and stands, offering John a hand.

After sending off another quick text the two of them leave, this time his mate shows him to another restaurant he has discovered, this time due to Jim. When they are done with lunch, they spend several hours shopping around for a bedroom set until they find one that they both like. Due to his years in the military, he dislikes soft beds, and thankfully his mate prefers a firmer bed too if the one in Jim’s flat is anything to go by. Once they have made their choice, he is surprised to see it is dinner time so the two of them go eat before returning to their new flat.

When they walk in he is surprised to see that it is now fully furnished in the lower level with the living room, kitchen, and dining room.

“I can’t believe this,” his mate mutters as he looks around, “Which one of them am I hugging?” his nose twitches as he sniffs the air as he paces from room to room.

Glancing around, he tries to determine what has his mate muttering, he spots several books on a shelf, a few pictures of two children, a boy and a girl, there are other little items too carefully placed around the flat. In the kitchen he discovers an antique tea service, along with several old sets of pots and pans, and a dishes set in the cupboard. There are other things around the flat that he notices and are older, items that look like they belong to family heirlooms. When the bond between himself and John flares, he follows it upstairs to their room, he discovers his mate sitting on their new bed staring at a unfold sheet of paper.

“John?” he questions softly.

Instead of speaking, his mate hands him the paper. His eyes quickly scan it, widening slightly.

 _-Dearest John_  
_If you get this message, then the lawyer was able to find you and I have passed on. William selected to get rid of you, but that was never my choice, I hope that you have been able to find a stable life and a good home. I hope that you were able to follow your dreams._  
_Take care of yourself._  
_Be happy_  
_Wanda-_

Setting the paper aside, he settles himself on the edge of the bed next to his mate and pulls the younger man close, murmuring comfortingly, “It’s alright love. Go ahead and let go.” He knows that his mate had never understood why he had lost his entire family just because he was an omega. That the younger man had often wondered if the reason his other family members had never tried to find him was because they had not cared. This simple letter said so much more, as did the small items that had been preserved for him.

For a long time the two of them sit there with his arms wrapped around his mate. He’s not sure how much he is succeeding at it or not. Time would be the only thing that would tell.


	7. Rebonding (Part 1)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tumblr about my stories: [JaimiStoryTeller](http://jaimistoryteller.tumblr.com/)
> 
> Thank you for any form of communication, I love it and it keeps me writing!
> 
> Lots of thanks to NoOrdinarySouthernGirl for all of her help

James’ POV  
In the weeks following, life seemed to fall into a pattern once more. While they seemed to be a bit closer than when they had lived with Jim and Sebastian, there still seems to be a distance between them. It’s not the same type of distance as when he first got back but it’s still there. Often times when his mate would greet any of the five, he would scent them, not always touching his nose to their neck, but definitely dragging in their scent yet he cannot recall John doing the same with him.

On days his mate works at the café, he often goes with him, mostly to watch as his love works with the vast amount of people who come through the place regularly. Now that he is feeling a better, he is finding simple joy in just watching his mate. The younger man is so very affectionate, knowing all of his regular customers and their families, asking after them, helping those who are on limited incomes by selling them day old bread products for only a fraction of the price or even giving them to some folks. Those who are willing to be his test subjects for new items he is designing also get discounts. He can easily see the pleasure and happiness that the café brings his mate, making him even surer that he made the right choice in staying in London rather than forcing John to move to the country.

Depending on which shelter his love works at is whether he is welcome inside or not. Some of the shelters do not like alphas in them, not even bonded alphas, and prefer to allow only omegas or betas within their walls for safety measures. The guards which seem to be with John at all but three of the shelters, change up depending on which one they are at, and he slowly gets to know each of them, discovering that most of those who work towards his mate’s protection used to live in the shelters at one point and his mate had helped them get on their feet. Most of those within the shelters seem to love his mate as well, often hugging and carefully scenting him before parting ways.

Again he notices his mate allows this but never scents him.

Exactly one month after they had moved into the flat, at the beginning of John’s fourth month of pregnancy, they hosted a dinner for friends and close family. It was done as a flat warming and his introduction to the remaining members he had not previously met. To say it was a bit overwhelming would be an understatement. At one point he had retreated to the top of the steps, staring down at the various people below. All of which care greatly about his mate, some even more than him it seems, making his depression flare up and him feel incompetent.

“Hello James,” a soft voice greets him as the older omega identified as Greg’s mum settles on the step next to him. “It’s a bit much for you, I think,” she murmurs as she studies him.

For several minutes they sit there in silence while he waits for whatever it is she wants.

“This is the happiest I have seen John in year,” there is pleasure in her tone as she says this. “He is thrilled to have you home. Now I am going to give you some motherly advice: stop worrying so much. He chooses to stay with you because he loves you and has for years.” She smiles fondly before continuing, “I can still remember when he came to me to ask what it means when his legs wanted to buckle at just your scent. I can remember our conversation before your bonding when he was worried he would do something wrong. And I remember the way he had to be restrained after the bombing that caused the difficulties you two are currently facing. You were in surgery and they wouldn’t let him in,” she shakes her head chuckling, “He pulled rank on those nurses and most of the doctors too. When you crashed they sedated him. Boy were his protectors pissed about that. I believe the nurse who actually gave him the shot was deported, because his health is something those five take seriously.”

He says nothing, simply absorbing the information, he had not known that John was in the same building as him, hadn’t know that his mate tried to get to his side. Nor had he known that his mate’s body had wanted to submit the first time they met. He had hoped, but not known. It’s still easy to remember him, a slightly rounder faced teenager with sparkling yet wary eyes asking what he could do for him, remember the early days where he would see him once or twice a week, never telling the young omega the only reason he bothered with lunch was to see him. That he learned what days he would be there for the same reason.

Quietly, almost inaudible he confesses, “He may love me, but I doubt he wants me outside of his heat.”

“Poppycock.” She retorts, “He’s concerned that _you_ do not want him outside of his heat. That boy has never taken a causal lover a day in his life. He shared his heats with Greg prior to your bonding, but there was nothing outside of his heats, then you were only ever home during his heats, I do not even know if he understands that its perfect acceptable to do anything outside of heats.”

He can do nothing more than stare at her. Could she be right? Could it be that John has not tried anything more than cuddling because he does not know how? Then it would be up to him to show him. What if he had damaged their relationship by not knowing or understanding that? He’s forty-one for God’s sake, he should have realized.

“Now then, not tonight because he will be exhausted from playing host, but soon, sit down and talk with him. Blush your way through it if you must, but actually discuss whether you two want a physical relationship outside of heats.” She orders him, “You’ll both feel better for it.”

After thinking about it for a long time, he nods slowly.

“Good, I am going to rejoin everyone downstairs, you come down when you’re feeling better, none of us will hold it against you.” She tells him before heading down the steps and leaving him to his thoughts once more.

Nearly another hour passes before he finally feels as if he can rejoin the others. The moment he does so, his mate is at his side, blue-gray eyes looking at him worriedly. Smiling reassuringly, he presses his lips gently to his forehead before lightly looping an arm around his waist. The gathering lasted for another hour or so before everyone leaves, though he was amazed when he discovered that the Lestrade women had helped John to clean up all of the food and dishes.

It would be another week before his mate would have a day off from working at the café and the shelters. After checking with him the night before to make sure he had no plans, he makes a plan of his own, from the minute he wakes up until they hopefully fall asleep in each other’s arms. He even sends out a text to the group of five that they will be unavailable the next day. Sending it twice to Sherlock just to make sure he gets the point.

In the morning he is the first one awake, as is normal. He spends the first ten minutes just studying his mate, enjoying the way the predawn light plays over his light tan skin and blonde hair. Eventually he slips out of bed, gently pressing his lips to John’s forehead and telling him to go back to sleep when he starts to stir. Once he is sure his mate has done just that, he slips out of the room, and heads to the shower to get cleaned up. When presenting oneself to a lover, it is best to do so without body odor. After he is done in the bathroom, he only puts on light sleeping bottoms, forgoing his normal long sleeve shirt. His mate’s reaction to seeing him without a shirt should give him a fairly good idea how John is going to respond to his question at lunch time.

Nodding to himself, he sets to making breakfast. Carefully wracking his brain to make sure he remembers all of is mate’s favorites. As they are cooking, he gets out the serving tray he had discovered in the cupboard, before pouring a glass of orange juice and a second full of grape. Lately his mate has liked one than the other. Next up, he puts the silverware on there, frowning because he feels like he is missing something when he remembers the cooking food. Blushing and happy that his omega is not in the room to see him nearly fail so miserably, he manages to get the food onto plates before it burns.

Plates with favorite foods, silverware, juice, what am I missing? He thinks as he studies the plate critically. Since discovering his pregnancy his mate had chosen to stop drinking tea rather than drink caffeine free ones from the store, but he had bought him some fruit flavored ones so maybe he would like that with breakfast? Orange juice and grape juice, hmmm, mango citrus he decides. Quickly he makes it up and settles it on the tray before doing one last look over. Smiling in satisfaction, he carefully lifts the rather full tray, heading through the flat and upstairs to their room.

In the room he sets it on his end table since it is emptier before going around to the other side of the bed to gently kiss his love awake. Sleepily, the younger man responds, making little frustrated noises when he withdraws as he feels him waking up.

“I have breakfast for you,” he informs him softly, smiling hesitantly because he is trying to spoil John just a little.

Sitting up and rubbing his eyes for a moment, the blonde blinks at him a few times, repeating, “Breakfast?”

Instead of answering aloud, he sets his plate and juice aside before carrying the tray to the other side of the bed and carefully settling it on the younger man’s lap. Focusing on the bond as much as his visual reactions, he is relieved that his omega seems pleased with his offering. Retreating to his side of the bed, he nibbles at his breakfast while keeping track of his reactions. The entire meal is spent in companionable silence though there seems to be something in the air. After breakfast, he takes all the dishes downstairs, placing all of them in the dishwasher but not turning it on yet. The tea was a success so he plans to get more of them for his mate to enjoy.

Hurrying back upstairs and nearly tripping on the stairs because he is distracted, he runs a nice, hot bath, putting a few bath salts in it that are supposed to relax the body but are nearly scentless. He might wish to try being intimate with his mate but that does not mean he is not aware of the risks that can come with it.

Returning to their bedroom, he finds his mate sitting on the edge of the bed, legs thrown over the side, hands resting on his knees, and a thoughtful expression on his face.

“I drew a bath for you, if you want it,” he offers.

Giving him a curious look, his mate inquires, “Are you joining me?”

Flushing, because he had not expected that, he babbles, “I umm took one already but thought you might enjoy one.” he can feel the blush growing brighter as he embarrasses himself not being able to answer directly.

Smiling slightly, brow furled in question, his mate nods once before standing up and heading to the bathroom.

When he hears him climb into the tub a few minutes later, he sets to making the bed before digging out of his side of the closet the small collection of supplies he had bought for this purpose. After checking the bond and finding that his mate is simply relaxed right now, he sets the body oil off to the side on his end table before putting the lube and condoms in the drawer. He does not personally think they need the condoms, but perhaps his mate will, so it is best to be safe than sorry. Once everything is in place, he decides to go see if John would like anything.

Lifting his hand at the bathroom door, he chides himself for being hesitant, this is not his first seduction after all, but it is the first one that means something, his mind retorts.

“John? Do you need anything?” he inquires politely through the door not sure which answer he would prefer.

He is just getting ready to consider finding something, anything to do with not thinking about his mate naked in the tub when the younger man answers, “Ummmm, I’d appreciate it if you could scrub my back,” there is both embarrassment and hopefulness in his tone, “It’s not quite as easy to reach at the moment.” his mate’s voice trails off.

Squaring his shoulders, he eyes the door with the same determination as he would have given a war room discussion.

Alright, back washing, he can do this. It was a clear invitation into the bathroom so open the damned door already and stop acting like a recently presented alpha, his mind yells at him. Open the door, walk through the door, kneel beside the tub, and use flannel to scrub his back. It is not difficult, get to it James, his internal alpha orders, this is not as bad as having to take apart a bomb. Come on, through the door. That is step one.

Closing his eyes, he finally grabs the handle and opens the door. When he opens his eyes again he is presented with a mouthwatering scene. His mate is seated in the tub with the water coming up just above the middle of his torso. From the droplets running down his upper torso and the wet hair, he had laid down at least for a few minutes in the water. Possessively, his eyes trace the path of a drop of water that falls from his short bangs, down his cheek, before falling to the very slight swell of his mate’s stomach and their pup. Their pup. He’s the only person who has ever seen his mate like this, wet from a bath and pregnant. He’ll remain the only person to ever see this because he’s his. There will be no sharing with a younger alpha, no being replaced.

He is barely aware of the growl that rumbles from his chest except for the sudden stillness that John portrays. Blue-gray eyes slowly turning to him and watching him with nearly unreadable emotions.

Internally yelling at himself, he smiles at his mate in a manner he is hoping is reassuring, before crossing the room to kneel beside the tub. The entire time he can feel the younger man’s eyes on him, causing his skin to heat in a blush at that spectacular loss of control. It’s not a good thing to growl at one’s mate, his mum taught him. Focusing on the bond and keeping his scent relaxed, he carefully reaches for the flannel, making sure not to make any sudden actions because he does not want to startle him. That would defeat the purpose of a relaxing bath.

John’s emotional state is all over the place right now. Thankfully though, disgust is not one of the emotions.

Fondly he states, “In order to wash your back, it needs to be towards me so I do not miss a spot.”

Blushing, his mate turns, straightening in the tub, and presenting his back to him.

Slow and carefully, he takes his time washing every centimeter of his omega’s skin presented to him from the tops of his shoulders, down the curve of his spine to the hollow dip just above his firm ass. He appreciates every solid centimeter, the way his bones have just the slightest layer of muscle and fat, a healthy firmness. Several minutes are spent delicately washing the bond bite at the base of his mate’s neck. Swallowing hard, he stops himself from leaning forward to press his lips against the smooth expanse of skin only broken by his bite mark.

When he has covered every part of his mate’s back twice, he allows his hand to fall away but remains seated on his knees studying the younger man’s profile. How did he get such a handsome omega in his life? One who is loyal, kind hearted, determined, and intelligent? Hopefully he never cocks it up as bad as he has in the last few years again. He continues to hold still looking just past his mate as the younger man turns towards him. That possessive feeling is rising up once more, making his chest tight and him want to lock every single entry into the flat, curl around his mate protectively in bed and keep all interlopers away. He’ll take care of his omega, make sure he has everything he needs, food, blankets, cuddles, anything at all.

“James?” he is drawn out of his thoughts by a rather cautious-sounding John, “Is everything,” there is a pause while his mate searches for the right word, “alright?”

Giving a small shake of his head, he nods once answering, “I, umm yes of course,” he feels confused and frustrated. His nature has never been this possessive before.

Blinking slowly, the younger man remarks, “Alright, I thought for a bit there you might be going through the alpha nesting, a less spoken of, but still perfectly normal part of a bonded alpha-omega couples pregnancy.”

He files the information away for when his mate is at work to look it up.

His hand is still resting in the warm water, it would be so easy to just reach out and brush his fingers against his mate’s skin, feel the smoothness beneath his fingertips, the heartbeat strumming through his chest. However he stops himself, they need to talk first, he was given pretty clear orders, and as a soldier he knows how to follow orders. Several times he feels his mouth open as he considers asking him now, but decides to follow the plan instead. Of course the plan did not have him kneeling on the bathroom floor admiring his mate.

“Are you enjoying the bath?” he eventually inquires, blushing at husky tone in which his voice seems to have taken.

With his skin a slight pink from the steam of the water, the only thing that gives away his slight embarrassment is the very light scent in the air as his mate nods once.

“When you are done would you like a hot tea and a back rub?” he queries quietly, eyes firmly locked onto his mate’s face.

After studying him for several long minutes during which time he began to wonder whether his touch was even welcome, the younger man nods once.

“That would be nice,” the omega answers him with a small smile.

Rising slowly, he inclines his head before withdrawing from the bathroom and heading straight to the kitchen to start the water, resting his elbows on the counter and his head in his hands. Self-control, he orders himself, is vital to the success of his goal. Straighten himself, he sets a fresh kettle to boil while absentmindedly fiddling with the waist band of his sleeping bottoms.

John did not seem to mind him in just the bottoms. The younger man’s gaze was even, he hesitated to call it appreciative, but it was the only word he could come up with. There had been concern in his expression, but only when he growled, otherwise he had seemed pleased. Hopefully that is a sign his mate would be willing to do more than just slumber beside him.

Not long after the kettle starts to whistle he hears the tub start to drain, and sets to making the cup of tea, this time going with a heavy raspberry flavor. While he knows his mate prefers fresh teas, he only has the barest ability to make them, and none of the caffeine free fruit flavored ones so he will stick with the store bought ones for now. His ears perk as he hears the bathroom door open, the smaller man padding out of it and down the steps.

Turning, he smiles as he watches his mate enter the kitchen in his pants, sleeping bottoms and robe.

Hopefully by the end of the day he will not feel the need to wear that robe, he thinks to himself as he enjoys the way the robe highlights his mate’s steady shoulders and toned chest.

“I put the massage oil on the night stand if you want to sit on the bed,” he offers as he hands over the hot tea and sets to making himself a coffee from the nearly always full pot.

Uncertainty fills his mate’s eyes for a few moments while he sips at his tea before he nods and turns to go back up the stairs into their room.

As the younger man walks away he admires the view, enjoying the firmness of his ass and solidness of his movement. There are no wasted motions, in many ways his mate reminds him either of a fight or a dancer, possibly both. He should ask his mate about that sometime.

After downing his coffee in two long drinks, he washes his hands before heading upstairs. Perched on the edge of their bed is his mate, his one leg hanging over the edge while the other is tucked up under him, his robe pulled tight around him.

Checking the bond he is happy to discover that his mate is only nervous, nothing else, he can work with nervous. Grabbing the oil, he settles behind the smaller man but not in his space, wishing to let him adjust to his presence first. When he finally can feel him start to relax, he gently sets his hand on his mates shoulder

“With or without the robe?” he inquires lightly, trying not to put pressure on the younger man.

Several seconds pass in silence while the smaller man considers those options. Slowly, his hands lift and untie his robe, letting it fall open but not off. He understands the invitation and the challenge. Gently, he lays his other hand on his other shoulder before sliding his fingers slowly to the collar before leisurely pushing it down and off, allowing it to pool around his waist again. He is pleased his mate’s back is to him for the moment because the expression on his face is nearly feral and he takes a moment to control his emotions once more before he leans forward and gently presses his lips to the bond bite for a brief moment before straightening up and pouring a little bit of oil on his hands to warm. With firm yet tender strokes he sets to working every kink and knotted muscle out of his mates back.

He delights in every little sigh and low noise that escapes the younger man’s lips. Minutes pass with the only sounds between them being their breathing, and the small needy sounds that his mate is making. Each noise sends a shot of desire through his system, enough so he can he notice the scent beginning to fill the room, so there is no way that the younger man cannot notice it.

When his mate is just about boneless in his hands, he carefully tugs him backwards so they are pressed stomach to back, his hands slowly rubbing small circles into his upper arms and part of his chest. For a long while the two of them stay like that, curled with more skin contact right now than they have ever had outside of his mate’s heats.

“John?” he breathes against the rim of the smaller man’s ear.

“Yes?” his mate’s voice is low, breathless, a bit confused, and needy.

“Would you be willing to have,” his mind searches for the right word, as he hesitantly tries to determine what to call it, “relations outside of your heat?” he asks. He had not wished to call it sex since he likes to think that there is more of a connection there, they’ve been mates for ten years after all, however he was leery of calling it making love because he thought that would put pressure on his mate. “Please think about it for a little bit before answering.”

Twisting around in his grasp, the younger man’s eyes search his face, looking for something he hopes he sees.

Glancing at the clock on the table side, he sees it is close to lunch time. So far the plan has worked out well, however he doesn’t want to move from this spot with the younger man pressed against his chest. When his loves stomach starts to grumble, he sets him forward a bit, before sliding out from behind him and tugging him backwards lightly so that he will lay down. Drowsily, the smaller man does as he wants though there is a speculative look in his heavy lidded eyes as he does so. Kissing his mate’s forehead, he slips out of the room quietly, heading downstairs to make them some lunch, well more John than himself, though he will have a small snack.

Once the plate of small sandwiches is made, he carries it upstairs, along with some more juice since that seems to be his mate’s favorite drink right now.

He smiles at the sight of John curled on his side, head resting on a pillow, hands tucked under his chin.

“John, I brought lunch,” he murmurs after kissing the smaller man’s cheek.

Blinking sleepily as he sits up, his mate stretches for a bit before seeming to remember that he is self-conscious of the baby bump.

Sniffing the air, his mate gives him another searching look before nodding slowly.

“Sandwiches?” he offers the plate, hoping that his mental notes on which ones his mate prefers are correct.

Smiling, the smaller man takes the plate he is offering, glancing over the variety of little sandwiches before selecting a ham and cheddar cheese one to nibble one.

“These are good. Did you get bread from the café?” his mate inquires after eating his second one. “It tastes like fresh bread and I do not remember you being a baker.”

He shakes his head, “Mrs. Hudson brought it over,” he replies.

“Ah, she did teach me a few of my recipes and I taught her a few in exchange,” the blonde remarks with a nod. His expression turns shy as he looks down at the remaining sandwiches, voice nearly inaudible as he asks, “Did you mean it?”

He is about to ask what when it strikes him like lightning. It is the first time they have ever discussed outside of heat sex and his mate thinks he is undesirable.

“I did,” he answers honestly and solemnly, hoping his mate can smell his truth if not feel it.

“Why? You’ve not shown an interest before.” There is genuine curiosity and confusion in his tone.

Gently taking the plate away, he sets it on the end table before tugging his mate onto his lap and cupping his face, bringing his gave up so they are eye-to-eye. “I’ve always been interest my John. I just hadn’t realized you didn’t know until recently. Not all omegas like to have relations outside of their heats,” he explains quietly, sticking with the word ‘relations’ because it seemed to fit.

For what seems like hours but is in truth only seconds his mate stares at him with those questioning eyes, his scent full of emotions, just as the bond is echoing emotion as well.

Tentatively, the younger man’s hand lifts from his lap to barely touch against the side of his face that has been scared.

He holds perfectly still, watching as his mate slowly touches him. Part of the ruined skin is sensitive, while other parts are dead. It is the first time someone other than himself or the doctors who treated him have touched it. Every touch is feather light, barely there as he traces over each centimeter, mapping every plane, curve, and dip.

Breathing shallowly, his tongue flicks out to wet his lips as his eyes drift shut. How is this one of the most erotic moments in his life?

His eyes barely open as he returns to watching his mate. It is the younger man’s turn to wet his lips before worrying the lower lip in his teeth. Slowly his hands slip from the omegas face, down his throat to his shoulders, before skimming further down his arms than switching to lightly holding the younger man’s hips.

Careful fingers move from his face further back to the area around his ears, tracing the backs of them before switching to tracing the rim and the front of his ears. Slowly his fingers skim down his jaw and his throat before stopping to rest just over the hollows on either side of his neck. Still worrying his lip, the tips of his fingers start to trace over his collarbone and shoulders. Swallowing, his mate’s hands continue to carefully trace over his skin, now following all of the various scars on the top part of his torso.

John’s touch is curious, gentle, caring but there is not pity in him. It surprises him, excites him, touches something deep within him, makes him want to pull him close and hold him.

Careful, light touches trace down his chest, still exploring the scars, but are more focused on the muscles beneath them. He finds that the touches are far more arousing than he expects. It’s getting harder to ignore the urge to press the smaller man back and take what he wants. However today is not about his needs, it’s about his mates and right now this is what his mate needs. He needs him still, needs him to be open and willing, needs him not to flinch or push him away. So that’s what he is, he shoves the alpha down deep, ignoring his instincts howling at him to be the dominate one in this.

When his mate gets to the top of his sleeping bottoms, his hands shift to tracing his sides, the edge of his back, and his arms rather than toy with the top of his bottoms.

Checking their bond, he notices that his mate is nervous again. His mate is also aroused, confused, and unsure what he is supposed to do according to his emotions.

“John?” he murmurs huskily, “What’s wrong love?”

He watches his mates throat work as he swallows, a small part of him wondering what that mouth would be like around him before he shoves it back down. Again, his alpha nature rebels, but he ignores it, this is not a time for his hormones to rule.

“I…” the younger man begins before his voice trails off, instead of answering, he buries his head against his throat, nose pressed against his scent gland much to his shock.

His mate never presses his nose against his scent gland. Something he has mourned privately on several occasions. Slipping his hands from his loves hips to his back, he slowly strokes him. He does not say anything, choosing instead to simply be there and wait for him to decide when he wants to speak. How had he not noticed his mate needed this closeness? His parents were affectionate with each other in private, how could have forgotten that it is necessary for bonds? Softly he presses his lips to his mate’s forehead.

When his mate sits back, his mouth moving as if he is trying to say something, he lifts a hand to gently touch his cheek, “Just do whatever feels natural,” he murmurs comfortingly, “If that’s trail your fingers across my skin, that’s all good, if its pressing your lips against my skin, that’s good too. Follow your instincts John they’ll not lead you wrong.”

Several long minutes pass before his mate nods once. Nibbling on his lip, the smaller man presses his hands on his chest and gives a light push backwards, almost as if to see if he would go. Smiling reassuringly he allows himself to fall backwards, understanding that this is as much about trust as it is desire. His actions in the last few years thrown his trust into question but he has given his mate a perfect way to test it.

“I’ve always loved the fact your skin is darker tan than mine,” the younger man hums as his hands go back to their exploration, “Always wondered if it was as warm as it looks. I can happily say that it is,” his mate continues. Hesitantly, the smaller man leans over him and presses his lips to his collarbone and he gasps, startled by the rush of emotion that small contact has.

“John,” he groans, his hands returning to where they were on his mate’s hips but not gripping them, just resting there. He is certain that the younger man can feel how hard he is through his bottoms. Hopefully that does not worry the smaller man. He has no intention of action on that need until he is given clear permission.

Curiously, with the type of tentativeness he remembers from his own teenage years, the younger man sets to exploring every inch of his upper body with his hands, mouth, and nose. He is slow and cautious, often glancing at him for reassurance that he is doing the right thing, that his touch is welcome. With each glance he smiles encouragingly, at least he hopes it’s encouragingly. At the moment he is not exactly sure of anything except he wants his mates hands on his skin, his lips grazing his flesh, his nose tracing paths against him as he learns what each lines scent.

How had he gone so long without this? It wasn’t only good for John. Hopefully his mate would enjoy himself enough that he would want to repeat the process again.

Smaller hands make him gasp as they find his ticklish spots, groan as they tweak his nipples, arch as they follow his muscles down in a feathery touch before moving back upwards in a firmer touch. Those hands learn exactly what can take him apart and what can put him back together. Even more affecting is the lips that seem to be everywhere, small nibbles and licks at scars and learning which ones are sensitive and which are numb. Gentle pressure put on some spots to draw the blood to the surface, making him whimper in need.

Had someone told him that just his upper body being explored would have him teetering on the edge of orgasm, he would have laughed, his body has never been all that sensitive. Could it be the time spent apart and his body’s way of trying to remind him never to do that again? He doesn’t know.

“Please,” he moans, not exactly sure what he is asking for, but knowing he needs something.

A mischievous smile starts to curve his lips as the younger man continues to work his way downwards. Only unlike previous times his hands do not stop at the top of his bottoms. Instead they skim over his clothes as they continue their path, making him arch into those hands, a never ending train of noises escaping his lips. Through his thin sleeping bottoms his mate rubs his legs, exploring them with the care that he gave his upper body, without ever touching the one place he really wants his mate to touch.

A small part of him wants to lift his hips so the bottoms can be easily pulled off, only John has shown no indication of wanting to do that. So he doesn’t, instead gasping at how damn sensitive his body is currently feeling.

The first time the younger man brushes against him through his clothes, he arches and moans low in his throat, almost growling in need.

One very long moment passes as his mate freezes and stares at him with wide uncertain eyes.

“John!” he keens, his voice low and rumbling, aching with need.

Biting his lip in the most adorable fashion, his mate lightly brushes upwards on purpose, eyes watching his reactions intently as he strokes him through the cloth.

Later he would be embarrassed by the loss of control but for the moment he didn’t bother fighting it as his release rushed through him, making a mess of his pants and sleeping bottoms, leaving him on the drowsy side, merely wanting to pull the younger man to him and fall asleep cuddling. One of the hands resting on his mates hips, shifts upwards slightly, gently tugging the younger man down beside him. His inner alpha glorying in the fact his mate got him off and willing curled up with him as he tucks his head on his shoulder, one small hand lightly resting on his chest.

After gently pressing his lips to his mates forehead, the younger man drifts off to sleep and he is not far behind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So instead of doing a super long chapter, I am breaking it into two chapters, this chapter with its emotional realization and smut, and the next is nearly purely smut.


	8. Rebonding (Part 2)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tumblr about my stories: [JaimiStoryTeller](http://jaimistoryteller.tumblr.com/)
> 
> Thank you for any form of communication, I love it and it keeps me writing!
> 
> Lots of thanks to NoOrdinarySouthernGirl for all of her help

James’ POV  
He is the first to awake roughly half hour later. Several quiet minutes pass while he simply lays there and enjoys the feel of his mate curled up beside him, his slightly rounded stomach pressed against his side. Unfortunately, the need to pee along with get cleaned up, forces him to move, so he lightly kisses his mate before slipping out of the younger man’s arms.

“James?” his mate mumbles as he wakes up.

“Bathroom,” he replies with a fond smile, “Maybe a shower, you are welcome to join me if you want.”

Blinking as he sits up, the younger man glances at the clock, eyes widening slightly before he starts blushing. “I’ve spent pretty much all day in bed.”

His eyes flicker to the clock, noting that it is nearly dinner time, “That is perfectly alright you know,” he pauses, ignoring the heavy feeling of his bladder for a moment to suggest, “If it is alright with you, I would like a chance to return the favor.”

His mate’s eyes widen further as he stares at him, “But I…” his voice trails off as if not sure what to say.

“Yes you,” he comments, completely serious he continues, “It’s high time you discover how desirable you are. No better way to do so than to show you. Something I have been sorely lax in doing.”

With one last smile at his mate he heads to the bathroom, cringing at the feel of his sticky pants. In the bathroom, he quickly undresses before using the toilet while the water heats up. Once the shower is steaming, he steps in, allowing the hot water to run over his body. He has just soaped up the flannel to start washing himself when the bathroom door opens and his mate steps in. Cocking his head to the side, he listens to what he is doing, happily surprised when his mate actually accepts his offer to shower together.

“Hello,” he murmurs with a smile, originally planning on turning to face his mate only a hand placed hesitantly on his back has him holding still instead.

“Can I?” the younger man inquires, hand just barely touching him.

He nods, “Of course, whatever you would like,” he replies, happy that his mate is feeling explorative, shifting his positioning slightly so he can brace himself against the wall.

Those hands that had explored the front of his body with such care set about doing the same with the back. Every centimeter is touched, mapped, learned about. Between the light and firm touches, the warm water pouring over their body, and the fact he can smell his mates arousal, he finds himself getting hard once more faster than expected. Normally coming once would have taken the edge of, but that does not seem to be today’s case. Before the hot water has run out he finds himself coming a second time, this time all over the shower wall, without anything even touching his prick to his shock. First time that has ever happened before.

Stepping back but still within the stall, he can feel his mate’s eyes on him as he gains his breath back and turns around. His eyes sweep up and down his omega’s body, taking in all the details he had missed when the younger man was in the bath earlier from the light patch of freckles on his hip, the fact his mate has a lightly longer than average cock for an omega, the solidness of his body except for that one small bump where their pup is growing.

One of his hands twitches towards the younger man who flinches, causing him to freeze before asking, “Can I touch you John? Can I give you the same type of pleasure you’ve given me?”

Silently, his mate watches him, eyes thoughtful as he considers his offer. Finally, he nods slowly in agreement.

Relief pours through him as he steps closer before dropping lightly to his knees. Since his mate is shorter than him normally by a good amount, it works out well, nearly putting them at the same height. Definitely making him just a little shorter but allowing him perfect access to touch every centimeter of his mate from shoulder to knee. Long fingers gently set to stroking across the planes of his mates chest and stomach, gently pushing his mate’s hands out of the way when he tries to cover the slight curve of their child.

“Why are you trying to cover your stomach up?” he inquires before he leans forward to place a light kiss on the top most part of the curve.

“I’m fat,” his mate replies, once more trying to hide his stomach.

“You’re not fat,” he informs his mate seriously, “You’re four months pregnant. There is a big difference. Even if you were fat though, you would still be handsome.”

The uncertainty in the younger man’s eyes makes him angry at himself, but he keeps it tightly controlled so it does not enter his scent. Instead he sets out to proving his point with his touch, fingers tracing every centimeter of his mate, finding all of the spots that make the younger man tremble or little noises escape his lips. He discovers that his love’s nipples are sensitive and leans forward to gently lick them, which has an immediate reaction of his hips stuttering towards him. A smile curves his lips as he sets to using his mouth to taste every centimeter of the omegas skin.

When the water turns cold he slowly stands, hands resting on his hips while he gives the smaller man a light kiss on the lips before turning in order to turn the water off. Grabbing a towel he takes his time drying his love off first, rubbing his entire body softly until there is no moisture from the tub left before briskly drying himself off.

John makes an adorable squeak when he scoops him up, nuzzling his nose against his throat for a moment before carrying him to the bedroom.

“What are you doing?” his mate gasps as his arms wrap tightly around his neck.

Grinning mischievously, he answers, “Carrying you back to bed so I can continue showing you exactly how desirable you are.”

“You don’t need to carry me, I can walk you know.” Despite the fact is grumbled, his scent says he is pleased, just a bit embarrassed to be carried like that.

“I know but I want to. Besides it’s not that far,” he responds as he settles him lightly on top of the blankets before proceeding to touch, kiss, lick, nibble, and rub his nose on every part of his mate’s lower legs. Discovering that the hollow behind the knee is an extremely ticklish spot for the smaller man, that if he lightly runs his fingertips along the calf muscles he would gasp, and if he slowly worked his way upwards his mate would turn the most enticing shade of pink. The middle to top of his leg was even more sensitive than the bottom part, making him smile in pleasure as he watches his mate wiggle in need, the most intoxicating sounds escaping the younger man’s lips.

“James!” His mate groans as he pushes against him.

“You,” he kisses thigh, “are,” kisses a bit higher, “one of,” tongue traces the dip between leg and torso, “the most,” gently nibbles on the underside of the small swell, “handsome,” kisses his way across his mate’s stomach, “men I have,” his hands join the appreciating, rubbing small circles into his chest and stomach, “ever seen.”

Taking his time, he explores every centimeter of his chest and stomach now that he is laying down, delighting in every blemish, freckle, or mark he finds. He loves the various noises his mate makes, particularly the low growling whimper that almost reminds him of purring.

When John’s stomach starts to growl, and the younger man starts to blush, he gently presses one more kiss to it before sitting up and stating, “Be right back,” with a smile. Grabbing a towel to wrap around his hips because he cannot remember if the curtain is closed or not, he heads down to the kitchen, happy to see all of his curtains are closed. In the kitchen, he gets out the trays of meat bites, cheeses, fruits, crackers, veggies, and dips he had put together the previous day. It is a lot like a tray for when his mate’s in heat, and that is sort of the same type of foods. Little things they can take turns feeding each other, something small and intimate, to build closeness. Several bottles of cold water and a few small things of juice are also added to his almost over packed main tray.

Silently, he carries it upstairs, heading into the bedroom once more. He smiles at his mate who has scooted closer to the middle of the bed and tugged the comforter over his body. Settling it on the bed, he sits down and scoots closer to the smaller man, putting them nearly side by side.

“I realize it’s not a traditional dinner but would you like to eat with me?” he queries softly.

Closing the distance between them, his mate replies with a smile smile, “Alright,” as he glances at all of the options to eat.

Making a little sandwich with some crackers, chicken pieces, cheddar cheese, and a little dip to hold it together, he offers it to his mate to nibble on.

There is a curious look in his mate’s eyes as he accepts the small bite, his tongue flicking out to catch the crumbs and making him swallow hard. Once the younger man has finished his bite, he selects a piece of fruit for him, covering only a small part of it in the cream cheese dip before offering it. Carefully, he accepts it, his tongue gently lapping at all of the juices and smiling when his lovers breathe catches. For the next several minutes they go back and forth, each taking a turn getting a bite to feed the other.

Unlike during heats where the pheromones keep them from feeling shy or any other strong emotions outside the need to connect, he is fully aware of each bite, both offered and accept, and the meaning behind such an easy companionship between them. It’s erotic watching the way his mates tongue curls around each bite, particularly when his mind keeps wondering what that same tongue would feel like around him, a thought he pushes down.

The air seems to get heavy with the scent of desire, much to his pleasure, and when his mate pushes the tray away, he goes and tucks it back in the fridge to keep the remaining food fresh.

Back in the bedroom, he sits on the edge of the bed, one hand resting on his mate’s leg. “May I continue?”

Blushing, John whispers, “Yes.”

He smiles at the younger man, gently peeling the blanket off so he is bare once more before he returns to kissing, touching, and scenting every inch of him until he is breathing heavy and fully aroused. The first touch of the tip of his tongue against his mate’s cock makes the younger man gasp and arch into the contact, his breath coming out in a stutter. Carefully he presses on the vein in his leg, feel the pulse and making sure that it is not currently skipping. Slowly he laps down the smaller man’s penis, tasting and enjoying his light musk that is not as pronounced right now as when he is in heat. When he gets to the base, he continues downwards, gently sucking on first one of his mate’s balls, than the other before he continues to go further back.

He is mildly surprised by the light layer of liquid leaking out of his mate’s hole. Particularly since it is his understand that omega males rarely produce fluid outside of their heats. Maybe it is due to him being pregnant? He’ll have to look into but for now he is going to enjoy a chance to lap at his juices.

One hand gently rests on his mate’s hips to slow the rocking in time with his tongue, while the other is stroking his lover’s cock in time with his lapping.

He can still remember his John mentioning once that he appreciated the fact Greg did not ignore his cock the way it seems to happen in books and porn. Since there is no way he is letting a past lover, granted only for his heats, do a better job he keeps this detail in mind. Besides, it shows he paid attention to something his mate said. If its just a bit possessive, well he is an alpha, even if he does tend to suppress that side of his nature.

Several long minutes pass with the only sounds being those his mate makes and the wet sound of him rimming his mate.

He feels when the pleasure gets close to the surface, when it is nearly time by the tightening and fluttering of his mate’s hole around his tongue and the way he seems to get even harder in his hand. His lips curve in a smile and he continues his ministrations even as he feels him coming all over his stomach until the last spasm has passed. With one last lap at his entry, he sits up, carefully looking his mate over before grabbing the moist wipes had had placed with the lube and condoms in order to gently clean his skin before grabbing the blanket to pull up over them.

For a while the two of them drowse together, his longer body carefully wrapped around his mates, his groin pressed against the smaller man’s ass, one hand thrown around his waist, resting on his slight stomach. There is still desire in the air, but it is muted now, replaced with more of a content feeling.

After a bit he groans when his lover wiggles against him. The slight wetness making him harder than he already is. Since he is not sure whether John’s doing it on purpose or in his sleep, he buries his head against his mate’s neck, pressing forward only slightly.

“Ghmn,” he moans when the younger man does it a second time, “John?”

Wiggling again, this time with a deliberate backwards push according to the feel of it, his mate replies a bit breathlessly, “Yes James?”

“Are you teasing or requesting?” he murmurs as his tongue flicks out to trace the bond bite.

Freezing, his omega tilts his head forward a bit, giving him better access to the bite mark.

He stops for a moment to see if that affects his mate any only to have the younger man press back against him a bit more, ass definitely rubbing him.

“I don’t know,” the younger man finally whispers, “I want, uummmmm, I need,” he continues, “please!”

He understands what the smaller man wants and is having a hard time understanding. Carefully reaching behind himself, he gropes for the drawer, opening it up and feeling around until he has his hands on the lube. Once he has it in his hand, he brings his arm back around his mate, giving him a light hug.

Nibbling gently on his mate’s ear, he murmurs, “I’ll take care of you, my John.”

Nimbly, he uses one hand to put lube on the other before slipping it between their bodies, his fingertips carefully playing over his mate’s hole, getting it all moist and loose before slipping just his first finger in. His fingertip seeking the small bundle of nerves that he knows will send a thrill through his mate. The instant he finds it, he knows it because of how his omega presses back and the keening noise that escapes his lips. Smiling against the younger man’s skin, he sets to kissing and nibbling at the scent gland and bite mark while he continues to work him open, getting that fluttering hole ready for him to press into. Using first just one finger, before adding a second, eventually a third, and just to be on the safe side he presses just the tip of his fourth in, making sure he is stretched enough.

When he is sure that he will not hurt his mate, he asks, “May I John? Can I sink into you and rebite our bond, strengthening it?”

“Yes,” his omega groans pressing as close as he possibly can, his scent so very aroused and intoxicating.

After twisting his fingers one more, he withdraws them, pressing his lips firmly against his mate’s neck as the younger man keens. Using his already slick hand, he strokes himself a few times, getting his hard cock slick so that it is an easier slide before lining them up and slowly pressing forward. Reaching down, with the hand across the top of his mate’s body, he tilts the younger man slightly, and spreads his legs just a little, while his arm that is looped around the bottom of his mate strokes all over the younger man’s front side.

When he has pressed as far in as he can, he groans, shifting John down just a hair more and giving him just a little more depth to bottom out. Slowly he withdraws before pressing forward once more, setting a leisurely pattern of press and withdraw, rotating his hips slightly when deep inside in order to rub against his mates buddle of pleasure nerves.

“Jah-ames!” his omega gasps, scent flooding the air with arousal, pleasure, and affection.

Lightly scraping his teeth over his bite mark, he growls quietly against his mate’s throat, “I’ve got you, John, let go.”

He keeps the steady pace up, enjoying the little tremors that are going through his mate. Just before he feels his omega’s body getting ready to pulse in his hand and around him, he lines his teeth up carefully with the old bond bite and bites down just hard enough to break the skin as he twists his wrist slightly, bringing his mate to completion. He has semen all over his hand as the coppery taste of blood enters his mouth and he comes with a low growl inside his mate.

Warmth, possessiveness, fear, worry, pleasure lust, passion, hope, affection, love, and joy rush through him as the bond he had nearly broken in his foolishness re-solidifies. He can nearly hear his mate’s thoughts, though he tries not to listen, and can feel every emotion his mate has.

The bonding triggers something deep inside his mate, a micro-heat for lack of a better word, and he feels the wetness of his omega’s body pulling him just before the pheromones flood the room, making both of them nearly instantly hard. Despite that, he keeps to the same sort of pace he had set prior as he gently lets go of the bond bite, lightly running his tongue over it to promote quick healing. For some reason his saliva helps the open wounds to seal nearly instantly.

 _What’s going on?_ He hears his mate think as he continues to slowly move his hips, _James?”_

“It’s alright love, its just the rebond sinking in. It will fade in a few hours time.” He reassures his mate and omega as the hormones fill them.

“James?” there is fear in his love’s voice, freezing him in place deep inside the younger man.

Wrapping his arms around him, he carefully withdraws, though his mate keens at the loss it seems. With ease he flips the younger man around so they are face to face, scattering little kisses all over his face while stroking his body in the most soothing way possible.

“Damn it. I errored again. You didn’t understand about the rebond did you?” While the words are a question, he has a pretty good idea of the answer from how the omega is reacting.

“Rebond?” The younger man repeats, confusion in his voice even as he starts to press against him, trying to get friction because his body has gone into a micro-heat. “Is that why you asked if you could re-bite me?”

He nods, kissing the younger man gently on the forehead, “I thought you knew that it was possible for mates to reactivate the bond as if it was new when there has been strain on it that causes health concerns or acts like a breaking point harming both participants.” He explains gently

“Oh,” the smaller man mutters, “James?”

“Yes love?” he answers.

“I’m in heat,” there is confusion in the omega’s voice. “At least it feels a lot like a heat.”

Chuckling softly, he nibbles on the curve of an ear, murmuring, “It’s a micro-heat brought on by the rebonding.”

“Oh,” there is frustration and understanding in his tone now. “Well then, you best get to work.”

He couldn’t stop the rumble of laughter that escaped him even if he wanted to. Only his mate would tell him to get to work while he was in the process of going through a micro-heat. It is an order he is only too happy to obey. Over the next several hours, while the empathy and mild telepathy is shared between them, and his mate is in heat, he returns to exploring and enjoying every single inch of his omega. His inner alpha rejoicing that he is his.

By the time the heat has finished, his mate had called in sick, having Oba run the café for a day. They were both exhausted from lack of sleep, though he made sure that they ate and got plenty of water in them. Overall it was one of the best heats they had ever shared, partly because they could remember every minute of it without it being overwhelming.

As the two of them drift off to sleep he thinks that maybe everything will work out perfectly well, though maybe they should have a talk in the morning about what his mate knows and doesn’t know.

“James?” the younger man mumbles.

“Yes?” he replies, surprised he is still awake.

“Stop thinking so I can sleep.”

Chuckling, he kisses him once before closing his eyes and doing just that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes folks, this is now done, it started off as a 3 chapter plan and ended up being 8, it was an emotionally bumpy ride but the boys seemed to have figured it out. To those who have left reviews, kudos, or even read it: thank you greatly! 
> 
> Now on to a Tumblr Thank You Followers story or two, along with a chapter from the Pack Verse.


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